Angel's Wings
by KittenFair
Summary: Angel's Wings is now discontinued, and the rewrite "To Be Human" can be found on my profile.
1. Phoenix Downs

**DISCLAIMER: Own FFVII? Don't I wish! But no, credit goes to Square Enix. This is, believe it or not, a monster that grew out of me wanting some Zangeal fluff... so, later on, there probably will be said fluffiness. But you might have to slog through some drama first... beware.**

**Side note: This first chapter sticks very close to the game... don't expect that for the whole fic!  
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**SHOUTOUT: To my wonderful Beta, LadyoftheDrow! You are an immense help with the creative process, a wonderful friend, and an excellent Beta! :D**

**~ Chapter 1: Phoenix Downs ~  
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><p>Zack was coming to a lot of realizations as of late. More than usual. SOLDIERs, for example, even Firsts, weren't invincible. Of course, going into a blizzard in his usual uniform was probably not the greatest idea… but how was he to know the chopper was going to get shot down? Tseng's idea to do squats wasn't bad, but he was still left with a chill that ran deep in his muscles, not easily dispersed. And then, there was his fight with Genesis. Goddess, that was a hard battle. Even though he didn't really know the man well, seeing him struggle and <em>lose<em> his grip on humanity – on _sanity, _for that matter – was hard. And seeing him degrade more and more with every encounter… what had ShinRa _done_ to him? He was beginning to question what sort of company he had signed his loyalty to a dangerous thing, considering what ShinRa could _do_ to those who opposed it.

Downing a potion and waiting for his head to stop spinning – the fight with Genesis had been hard physically as well – he checked his PHS to see how much time had passed, and reluctantly pushed off the railing. Tseng and Cloud would be waiting, but the mission waited for no one. He had work to do.

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><p>Modeoheim was a ghost town, all the more empty for his inability to find Tseng and Cloud. Zack poked around for a bit, before going inside one of the buildings, a bathhouse from the looks of it, though it was horribly run down. Staring into steaming, rusty red water, he turned to go up the stairs and found himself face to face with another of the strange 'Angeal copies' – named since they bore his face and apparently were his… <em>creations…<em>somehow that he didn't care to think about. It hurt a little, having to cut it down, but this one was apparently hostile if its fireballs said anything about it, giving him no choice. Frowning, he made his way up the stairs, hurrying when he saw a familiar head of gold spikes. "Hey!"

"_Ngh…_"

Cloud struggled to push himself up, and somehow ended up faltering and landing on his rear with a thump, gazing at the older teen with dazed eyes. Zack leaned in, attempting to help, mako blue eyes assessing the other's wellness; he was more than a little scuffed up, but he'd be all right. "Cloud! Talk to me!"

"We're all right." The trooper assured him softly. He narrowed his eyes a little at Zack, meaning to ask how _he _was, seeing the occasional fine tremor shiver through his muscled frame, but Fair was already straightening, looking with alarm further down where Tseng was crumpled near the door.

"Tseng? _Tseng!_" The Wutain Turk lay propped against the wall, a protective hand over his stomach, chin resting on his chest as he took measured breaths. Still, his dark eyes were alert and grave as they met the young SOLDIER's.

"Down that way… You have to catch Hollander." He swallowed, perhaps as much to give Zack a moment as himself. "Angeal… is waiting for you."

Zack nodded, and walked past him, heading down into the next room. Despite the fact that a place in the wall was spurting steam, the metal building was utterly freezing and he found himself rubbing and slapping his arms in an effort to fight the chill. Following around twists and turns in an effort to locate Angeal and Hollander took him back outside a moment before he found himself safely indoors once more, sniffling a little at the change in temperature. He was beginning to wonder if Tseng had been wrong, but then…

…_Angeal…_

Those beautiful, angelic wings were unfurled and he could see them well – the rogue SOLDIER standing in the center of the room with his back to him. Zack approached, letting his boots click softly on the floor – a warning to his presence; he still hoped to reason with the older man.

"It should have been me." Angeal noted quietly, half turning once he noted the other's arrival. "_I _should have dealt with Genesis."

"Yeah… then why did you send me?" The bitter words escaped without his permission, and he looked away a moment, before looking up, just in time to find the tip of the Buster Sword swinging up to the place between his eyes.

"To prepare you… for your next fight!" The former commander's eyes were dark, darker than Zack could ever remember.

"Have you _lost_ it?" He demanded, not yet reaching for his blade, dodging and weaving between the wild strikes so unlike the man he'd known and admired for so long. "Stop it!"

"Someone's waiting for you, no?" Angeal challenged darkly, and Zack felt himself shivering again. _Who…_ _wait, is he threatening AERITH? _He wouldn't be the first to assume… but, was the burly First so unhinged that he would go after the innocent flowergirl just because he didn't… what? Fight him?

"Angeal… don't do this…" He was pleading now, even as he slowly drew his sword. They matched blow for blow, and then the far heavier Buster Sword pinned Zack's lighter SI blade; there was no budging it.

"Very good, Angeal." Hollander's gravelly voice interjected, the portly scientist seeming to come out of nowhere, a satisfied grin on his face. "It is time to exact vengeance for our family's suffering!"

"_Family?_" Zack blurted, startled.

"No!" Angeal snarled, ripping his blade away from Zack's. "My father is dead!"

"Fine, then do it for your mother." The doctor attempted to persuade.

"My mother's shame made her take her own life." He retorted darkly, making his student gasp in shock, remembering that horrid moment. Of walking in and seeing Gillian dead… of _assuming_ Angeal had done it… _oh Goddess…_

"Shame? How terribly misguided! She should have been proud…" He was still going on, with a small, cruel smile. "Proud that she was the namesake of our experiment. 'Project G,' or should I say, 'Project Gillian.'"

Angeal lunged at the scientist, a hand fisting in his obnoxiously yellow Banora Juice shirt. "_Don't _say her name."

"Gillian," Hollander repeated, continuing to provoke the normally placid man on a level that Zack could barely begin to fathom, "the woman implanted with Jenova cells. Genesis, who had her genes mapped onto him during the fetal stage. Yes, Genesis was a failure, I'll admit it. But _you_, Angeal…. You were actually bred inside Gillian's body. You… _you_ are perfection."

Furious, the First sent the old doctor sprawling with a single, hard shove before turning his back with a rustle of feathers. "Zack… I am perfect.

"A perfect monster." He turned, facing the stunned teen, imploring him with his eyes. "My cells can absorb genetic traits, and pass them along to others."

"A two-way conduit." Hollander grinned, rising unsteadily. "Jenova's power has passed on to you completely."

Tossing him a disgusted look, Angeal walked closer to his former apprentice. "Zack, do you remember what I said? About our enemy being all that creates suffering?"

"Yeah… but you're not one of them." Zack insisted softly, trying, so very hard, to get him to _see_that.

"But I created my _own _suffering." Facing two different directions, his anguish couldn't be seen, but it could be heard. "Zack. Let me show you."

"Stop it!" Hollander's cry broke the moment. "You don't know what you're doing!"

Before Zack could even begin to wonder what that meant, Angeal held up a hand, summoning one of each kind of his creatures. Hollander, though, apparently knew what he had in mind, as he began to panic, launching himself at the winged First and trying to pull out some of his hair, asking to have 'at least one sample' – he was shoved to the floor with ease, and as Zack readied his sword, the creatures rushed past him. _At Angeal._

Shit.

He screamed Angeal's name, tried to turn in time to stop them… but they were piled on top of him and there was no getting them off. Hollander went running like the coward he was as a bright light shone, Angeal screaming hoarsely.

When the light dimmed, and Zack could finally see what had become of his friend and comrade, he choked. This… _beast…_ didn't suit him at all. An enormous creature, easily taller than even Angeal himself had been, it still had a semblance of his face, hidden between two massive black and gold shoulder pads and under a mess of coal spikes. A lean chest was confusingly joined to a second body akin to a centaur's form, with a second mouth the width of his 'hips' sitting where his pelvis ought to have been, full of teeth and spitting energy at him. Brilliant blue tails lashed behind him, and, unnerved, he drew his attention back up to the more human torso. Were there... _four _arms? There _were! _Two - like Angeal's own - crossed over the chest, coming from inside. Then, two more came from the outside, larger, fitting for the beastly body, the left arm held a spiked shield, the right, a massive trident that was –

_-slash-_

Pain blossomed in his left cheek but he didn't flinch at the almost casual jab, too overwhelmed to cry out in pain, instead, demanding of the creature – of _Angeal,_ for somewhere within him, surely the man still could be reached! – "Angeal… _what happened to honor?"_

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><p>Fighting Angeal was harder than fighting Genesis, on so many levels. It was like some beast out of his nightmares, yet, he knew that <em>somewhere<em> in there, Angeal still lived.

_Not much longer,_ _at this rate_, he mused; he'd been dodging the beast's trident for what must have been a good ten minutes but it was getting him nowhere. What he needed, was to get it _away_ from him...

-_slash-_

Another mark on his cheek, but he was nearly numb to it, too high on adrenaline to feel pain. Instead, he took action on his thoughts, pivoting on his heel and slipping the tip of his blade in and wrenched the shield out of its left hand. The beast roared in fury, and stabbed at him with the trident. Quickly, Zack reached out and gripped it, just below where the three prongs protruded, and held on for dear life - trident in his left, sword in his right. The massive white wing beat anxiously and the beast reared up on its hind legs, pulling, leaving the SOLDIER First swinging in the air from the trident.

Cursing softly, he tightened his grip on the trident and, after weighing his options, took a creative gamble and used his body weight to encourage the swinging motion until he could kick his beastly opponent solidly in the face. On the back swing, he twisted a bit and managed to nail the other's outer arm with a sharp blow from the heel of his boot. It bent him awkwardly, but it was worth it - even when he found himself falling - because _he _hadn't let go of the trident.

It took a moment for the beast to recognize the loss of its weapon, but when it did, it roared its fury to the heavens. Just as Zack was coming to his feet, the enraged fusion of man and beasts turned to the side and walloped him with a solid wing that was pure muscle underneath the down, sending him skidding back several feet. Still, he held on to the trident and his sword, determined not to let the creature have any sort of weapon - it was proving dangerous enough without one.

This was only reinforced when a sudden, massive, blue glow, blinding in its brilliance, swelled to life in the center of the second mouth, at the juncture of man and beast. Instinctively, he knew this was a Very Bad Thing. But, there was nothing he could do about it. The power ball launched at him with such speed that there was no time to move. All he could do was scream as pain tore through him, body burning painfully as he dropped to the ground, curling in on himself a moment before his SOLDIER training kicked in and reminded him that, if he wasn't dead, he needed to _fight_.

Watery blue eyes cracked open, trying to focus on the gray blur as it approached, taking the trident from his limp grasp. Twirling it in the air, the beast raised it high over the fallen warrior's prone form and stabbed down, just barely missing as Zack rolled back out of the way of the blow that would have easily pierced through his back, judging by the way the trident lodged in the floor.

_Goddess help me... _he thought grimly, staring blearily at the trident. _He's gone. Angeal's _gone. _He _never_ would have done this... he's gone and left me with this... this _creature.

_No, _thought a little, traitorous voice in the back of his mind, _this monster. Angeal is gone, and all that's left, is a monster._

It was what his mentor had always feared, and yet, he'd caused it himself, absorbing all his creations to become this... _monster._

_"I have created my own suffering._" Angeal's words rang true in his mind, with a new, heart-wrenching depth, and he found his eyes pricking with tears. "_I am_... _a perfect monster..."_

_Angeal... how could you do this to me?_

Barely any time had passed, though to Zack, it seemed like an eternity, as he was realizing how far his beloved mentor had fallen. He blinked back tears, refocusing on the beast as it struggled to pull the trident from where it was embedded in the floor. Rolling to his feet, he stood unsteadily, and leveled his blade at the beast. The monster that dared stand where Angeal had been.

He wasn't ready for it to turn and lunge at him, far too close and far too fast to avoid the extended blade. With a wet slide of metal into flesh, he pierced the beast's human portion through the chest, just under the crossed arms, at an upward angle. Seconds later, the trident was ripping through skin and a bit of muscle in turn as a jab turned sloppy with the pain suffered. Compared to its intent, it was a glancing blow, but it was still damaging, and Zack drew back with a hiss, checking his bangle to see if he'd thought to bring a cure.

A sudden, bright light distracted him, and he looked up in time to see the beast collapse, clinging to the trident for dear life. The light got brighter, and he squinted, trying to see through it to see what was happening, but had to shield his eyes and turn away.

"... Zack..."

That voice!

"Angeal?" The young First whipped around, and felt his breath catch in his throat, nearly sobbing at the sight of his mentor sprawled out on the ground, bloodied and beaten, but smiling. "Oh goddess... _Angeal_..."

"... you have my thanks." He smiled softly, a genuine, heartfelt smile, lifting the Buster Sword, which must have returned with him. "This, is for you."

Tears filled Zack's eyes, realizing what his mentor was doing. What _he'd _done_._

Angeal was dying.

Zack had defeated the beast, which was part Angeal, and so, Angeal was dying.

"Zack."

Was he _still_ talking? NOW?

"Protect your honor, always."

He did _not _just go there. Zack blinked incredulously, coming to kneel stiffly at his mentor's side, just in time to see the light of awareness go out in his calm blue eyes.

Angeal Hewley was dead.

As if the heavens mourned his loss, the sky opened up with a freezing rain. Kneeling there numbly, Zack finally began to register the pain in his side once more and looked through his belt pouch to see if he had any potions left. Instead of brushing a hard bottle, though, he touched something soft, and frowned, looking inside.

_A Phoenix Down!_

Gasping sharply, Zack raised his eyes to his mentor, realizing what chance there was before him now. He had to act fast though. Taking the 'Down with care, he pressed it to his mentor's bleeding chest, and watched it vanish in a sparkle of magic. Not waiting for him to wake up, Zack rummaged for his Restore, and equipped it quickly, casting it repeatedly on his chest as it began to slowly rise and fall with his breathing. He lost count of how many times he had cast, not stopping until a gloved hand darted up to stop him. "_Zack!"_

"Angeal..." He hadn't seen him _move. _Then again, everything was a little... hazy...

"ZACK!" Angeal caught his trembling student as he collapsed, utterly exhausted. Turning him a little, he checked his pulse, relieved to find the youth was merely unconscious. He was a little disturbed to find that he was running a slight fever. Surely, _surely, _he hadn't come to Modeoheim in this condition? And fought Genesis? And... then...

Guilt overwhelmed the rogue First as he replayed the evening's events all too clearly. He had not only forced Zack to watch him die - he'd made him into his private executioner. Why, he wasn't quite sure now. At the time... it had seemed the only way. Oddly, standing in the quiet of the rain in the abandoned Modeoheim bathhouse, he no longer felt the burning desire to leave the world behind. Zack... had saved him. Never mind how unhinged Angeal must have seemed, never mind what ghastly appearance he presented him with... Zack found him worth saving.

A small smile touched his lips as he stroked the teen's unruly raven locks. Though he was not the strictest of judges, Angeal trusted the younger First's judgement of character. If he thought Angeal was worth saving... well... maybe... just _maybe..._there was hope.

A raindrop ran down the line of Zack's nose, which scrunched slightly, before a soft '_hitshhu!_' escaped him. Angeal blinked, startled out of his musings by the quiet sneeze, and frowned in concern at the damp snuffling that followed, resting his wrist on the youth's forehead once more. Definitely feverish. _Time to get out of here…_


	2. Change of Heart

**DISCLAIMER: You know, I keep checking my mail, but I haven't gotten any letters that say Square Enix wants to sell to me! Can you believe it?**

**~ Chapter 2: Change of Heart ~**

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><p>Genesis walked through the silent landscape, the only sound the soft crunch of snow under his boots as he followed the puppy's fading footprints to the bathhouse. Not that he couldn't have <em>guessed <em>that that was where the youth had ended up... he could hear him fighting now. Privately, he wondered what sort of monster was giving the youth such trouble. Then he heard the sound of metal on metal, and paused a moment, concerned. _No, it couldn't be. He would _never _raise a hand to him..._ The pup must have hit a wall, or a pipe, or something of that nature. What he heard _couldn't_ have been the clash of weapons.

Raising his eyes, he squinted at the decayed top of the building in time to see a brilliant light erupt from the holes. And then, he heard the cry of pain, Angeal's pain - he would know his voice anywhere - wrenched from his chest in agony. "ANGEAL!"

His wing extended in a flurry of black feathers, and with a powerful beat, he was airborne, quickly shooting up to look down at the scene.

Horrified was a mild word.

Angeal was on the ground in a pool of blood, skin as white as the snow outside with the tell-tale streaks of degradation in his dark hair. Zack was kneeling over him, likely distraught, though he couldn't see his face at this angle. As he watched, his friend - his best friend, _Goddess,_ he never told the man enough - smiled slightly, and let his eyes drift shut, his head lolling to the side as he fell into death's embrace. _Angeal... no... NO!_

Shaking hands, gloved in crimson, covered his mouth. He had seen death, had _been_ death to many. But he had never thought he would outlive Angeal... he'd always been there, ever since he was a boy. For as long as Genesis cared to remember, he had been the warm, steady presence in his life. And now... in one of the few moments that he hadn't been there to watch his back... he was _gone._

What could have _happened?_ Had Hollander turned on Angeal once Genesis had made it clear that he had no more need of the portly doctor? Was... was he the _cause_ of degradation after all? Could he have unleashed some sort of monster here in Modeoheim, meant to kill even two First Classes?

He was beginning to shake, dimly he realized this, and managed to perch on the ruined architecture, blinking as he saw movement, the pup pulling something from his inventory pouch and pressing it to Angeal's chest. Hope rose unbidden in him, as he saw a few sparks fly. _O great Goddess, please let it be...!_

The next thing he knew, the youth was pulling hard on his magic reserves, casting Cure after Cure on the body as it slowly began to regain color, broad chest expanding with breath once more - _life_ once more. Genesis had to grip one of the girders and held tight to maintain his position, grinning giddily as he realized that _yes, _Fair had managed to revive Angeal. His death, while distressing, was not permanent, as feared.

He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until he opened them, hearing Angeal cry out for his student, who had slumped over onto him. A fine brow arched, and briefly Genesis couldn't help but think, if only to himself, that the kid needed to learn his limits. If there was something around that could do that sort of damage to Angeal, not to mention roughing up Zack, the last thing either of them needed was one of them unconscious. As Angeal attempted to rise with the dead weight of his student, it quickly became clear that he was too weak still to do so safely, stumbling a bit with a rare curse.

Genesis swooped down in front of him, landing softly. "Angeal."

"Genesis!" He looked shocked. "I thought..."

"That I abandoned you?" _You did. _His hand, extended to lightly touch Angeal's face, froze and he jerked it back like he'd been stung. The weight of his actions came crashing down around him and he bit the inside of his cheek to hold them back. His eyes stung as he looked down at his life long friend, clothes stained with his own blood, and words he'd never said enough came spilling out. "I love you, Angeal. You're like my brother... I'd never leave."

They were barely more than a whisper but he knew Angeal had heard them by the softer look to his wearied face. Still, he didn't reassure him with an 'I know' like he always had - which stung. Had he realized that Genesis _had_ left him? Had _been_ leaving, in lots of small, but important ways, for months now?

"Genesis." Angeal's voice was soft, strained, and the older renegade was quickly reminded of his dance with death. "Would you -"

"Here, give me the boy." Genesis took Zack's limp form with care, shouldering him, and gestured to the metal monster on the floor. "Can you manage your sword?"

"I'll manage." He muttered, lifting it hesitantly, a bit off balance at first, but then adjusting quickly once he got it on his back. "We can go."

The crimson-clad former Commander nodded, making a gesture for Angeal to walk at his side. He didn't trust his friend to fly, so they walked back outside onto the little pathway that led to the previous floor. When Zack started shivering, and tried to burrow into his leather duster, he was startled to realize how warm the teen was. "Is he running a fever?"

Angeal nodded, lips pressed in a line of discontent as he watched his student cling to Genesis, shivering. "He's sick. I didn't notice earlier..."

"He seemed well enough when we ran into each other." The elder Banoran shrugged, casting a disapproving look at his friend. "Don't frown like that, Angeal. It's bad enough people are starting to think that's your only expression. Besides, I imagine you were rather busy fighting off whatever managed to maul you like that to notice something like this."

Angeal hesitated, slate blue eyes widening a touch as he realized his friend _didn't know_ what had really transpired. "Gen -"

"Well, well." Hollander's gravelly voice cut Angeal short. "If it isn't the _perfect monster._ Did you change your mind?"

"I want nothing to do with you, Hollander. I'm washing my hands of this. All of this." Angeal informed him sternly, putting a hand warningly on his blade, though in truth he didn't dare draw it for fear of off-balancing himself.

"It would have helped if you had thought of that before you set yourself on a path to hell, don't you think?" The doctor asked, flicking his own hair in a gesture to refer to Angeal's degradation-bleached locks. "You look even worse than Genesis... I hadn't thought that was _possible._"

Genesis sneered, glowering at the pathetic excuse for a scientist with utter loathing. However, standing in the rain and cold, he was acutely aware of the increasing tremors running through Zack's body as he held him. Flicking his gaze to Angeal, for once, he found himself the voice of reason. "Forget him. We've got more important matters at hand."

"You won't get any Jenova cells from him. And Shinra won't give them up, just for him, He's just another pet SOLDIER. _Replaceable._" Hollander warned. "You _need_ me. You're dying - both of you!"

"I'd rather die a slow and painful death, but be given a chance to start making things right again, than to live in dishonor, dancing like a puppet on your strings." Angeal growled softly.

A soft whimper, interrupted by a soft, strained sounding cough, cut the silence and made Angeal's gaze flick with concern to his student. It couldn't be doing him any favors to be out in the cold and wet. Looking to Hollander once more, he found the man had followed his gaze and was smiling cruelly. "Couldn't do it, could you? Or, were you never trying to kill _him? _I'm beginning to think you're such a coward you -"

Like a streak of fire, Genesis moved with inhuman speed and grace, even with his burden, Rapier's tip flicking out to gouge the fool's adam's apple as he swallowed fearfully. "You will not speak to Angeal that way."

"Genesis..." He began to appeal, only to grimace as he felt a warm dribble of his own blood drip down his neck where the crimson warrior's blade had bit.

"You will not speak to _me_ at _all._" Rhapsodos instructed softly. "I, too, am done playing your games Hollander. We will find another way. We aren't dead yet, and do not plan to be. _… the fates are cruel..._ but we _will _survive."

"Rhapsodos. Hewley." There was a soft click that only the enhanced SOLDIERs could detect, no silencer _truly _silent, as Tseng stepped out, gun trained on Hollander. "If you will excuse me, I have orders to apprehend Hollander."

Genesis raised a brow, looking at the Turk, then behind him to the flushed infantryman. "Can you?"

The Wutain smiled faintly. "If he proves to be trouble, I have means of... _immobilizing _him."

"I see." Still, Genesis didn't yet budge. "I suppose you'll be wanting SOLDIER First Class Fair back, as well?"

"That would be most agreeable." Tseng didn't miss the way Angeal tensed, and was wary of the almost smug grin shot at him by the crimson warrior.

"That's too bad." Rhapsodos declared, noting with satisfaction that his words made Angeal relax a little bit, though still on edge. "You're in no position to carry him out of here _and _deal with Hollander."

"I -" The infantryman began to speak up bravely, but was silenced with a blue eyed stare.

"No, you can't. The puppy wriggles." The poleaxed look on the young teen's cherubic face was rather charming, and even Tseng smiled a bit at the moniker. "I'll be taking him."

"But -"

"Back to Midgar?" Tseng's dark eyes were intently interested as he eyed the pair of rogue SOLDIERs. This could work out very well...

"Yes, yes. Midgar. That _is_ where he lives, isn't it?" Lowering his rapier, Genesis slipped it back into place under his duster and moved forward, waving at Hollander. "Follow the infantryman. Turk, feel free to shoot him if needed. Actually, just feel free to shoot him."

Angeal snorted, amused, and followed after Tseng gave a little nod to the befuddled infantryman to lead the way out to wait for the helicopter.

To Genesis' dismay, Hollander didn't try and escape at this point, and they found themselves waiting for the helicopter just inside the building with the young trooper - Cloud - outside. Somehow that felt like a test... not that he would swear to it.

For Angeal, the helicopter couldn't arrive quickly enough, sitting beside Genesis and Zack, the teen's weight distributed over their laps, with his friend's trademark leather duster spread over him to try and help with the chills coursing through his body. It was worrisome that he was still out, though there was a chance he had slipped off to sleep by now and was simply in a deep, restorative slumber.

Cloud's shout just barely came before the welcome thrum of helicopter blades, the sleek black vehicle touching down lightly on the snow, side door opening as the pilot waited for the expected pickup.

Genesis got far too much of a kick out of stepping in, smirking at Reno. "No 'hello'?"

"What the hell?" The redhead turned about, staring as he settled Zack between himself and Angeal, still wrapped in his coat. "Tseng! What -"

"Later, Reno." The Turk gave him a _look_, shutting him up immediately. "We need to head back to Midgar as quickly as possible."

"You staying back there with Hollander and, uh..." Cyan eyes flicked to the two rogue SOLDIERs almost nervously.

"We're just here to help with Zack." Angeal explained, gesturing to the shivering bundle.

Unnerved, Reno turned his gaze to Tseng for confirmation; he merely shrugged with a faint smile. "I have no orders regarding Hewley or Rhapsodos."

"Which is quite helpful. I'd hate to have to strand you all here and steal the helicopter." Genesis noted with a playful smile.

It was impossible to call his bluff, as it was just the sort of thing he _would_ do.

The redhead turned away first, ignoring Genesis' quiet laughter, and scowled. "Whatever, yo. I got a bird to fly."

Half way to Midgar, Zack finally woke, coughing softly and nuzzling into Angeal's lap with a groan and a sniffle. Much relieved, his mentor stroked his hair gently, deep voice murmuring for him to rest. Instead, blue eyes cracked open. "'Geal?"

"Yes, Zack." Angeal smiled fondly, placing a gloved hand on his cheek, answering his unspoken questions. "I'm fine. You saved me."

"I..." The teen choked up, a tear streaking down his cheek. "I _killed_..."

"Shh. I'm ok now. You did what you had to do, and I'm very proud of you." He soothed, trying to calm him down before he worked himself up too much, not wanting him to hyperventilate between his cold and crying.

"But -"

"No buts." He was firm on that, a bit of his old steel creeping into his voice. "You saved me."

Zack fell silent, contemplating this, and burrowed into the duster when another shudder shook him. His reaction to _seeing _the too-familiar crimson material was almost comical, blue eyes widening and darting about until they landed on its owner. "Genesis!"

"Relax, puppy." The rogue SOLDIER's voice was unusually soothing, and even sick, Zack could tell something had changed. "You might say you 'saved' _us_."

"I... _saved..._" Blue eyes were wide and incredulous, looking between the two rogue SOLDIERs. Had he really managed to save them both? And if so, what did that _mean?_

It was then that he heard it - the thrum of the helicopter. His eyes widened further and he looked to Angeal. "You're... coming home?"

Angeal chuckled, ruffling the youth's bangs. "We're going to try. It might get complicated. Shinra isn't too happy with us..."

"With _me._" Genesis corrected. "_I _did damage. All you did was take an... unsanctioned leave."

"Contact Sephiroth." Zack blurted. Getting twin looks of confusion from the pair, he rushed to explain, mind clearing a bit in his excitement. "Look, I know you guys are friends. And... he misses you." At Genesis' scoff, he scowled. "He does! In a Sephirothy way. He just doesn't seem to know how to show it. But I can tell!"

"All right, say he _does _miss us. You want us to just call and tell him, 'Hey, Seph, we changed our minds about bringing hell down on ShinRa and are coming home!' and expect him to welcome us with open arms?" There was more than a hint of incredulity in the auburn-haired man's voice.

"I don't know _what_ you should say, but I _know _he can help. I just... I'm sure of it." Zack persisted, fever-bright eyes looking earnestly at Angeal, pleading with him to agree.

Unexpected assistance came from Tseng. "The General would be a valuable ally. He has a way of... _persuading_... the President to see things his way."

"Shinra won't want them back. Failures, both of them!" Hollander sneered, apparently feeling somewhat safe from Genesis, with Tseng having the intent to bring him back _alive._ "And what would he want with dying SOLDIERs?"

"Dying?" Zack whispered, looking to Angeal, blue eyes wide.

"They're _degrading, _you foolish boy. It will be the death of them - don't think Hojo _can _or _will _cure them."

"We'll be fine." Genesis reassured Zack curtly. "_Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return._ I'm notoriously hard to kill."

Fair laughed a little at that, in spite of the seriousness of the conversation, nodding his agreement. "Uh, Genesis... how _did_ you make that fall?"

The former Commander stared at him a long moment before snorting in amusement. "I have a wing."

"How do you fly with _just one wing,_ yo?" Reno interrupted from the cockpit. "Shouldn't you go in circles?"

"Hell if I know." Genesis shrugged. "It works. That's what matters."

"'Flying feels pretty good.'" Zack murmured, smiling faintly at his mentor, who chuckled and nodded. "I like your wings."

Angeal blinked, staring down at the youth on his lap, and chalked the comment up to his fever beginning to get to him again. Stroking his hair, he urged him to lay back down. "We'll be in Midgar soon. You should rest until we get there."

"Call Sephiroth?" He asked again, fishing out his PHS and handing it to Angeal. "Please?"

Angeal took the phone gently, and tucked the younger First under Genesis' coat. "We'll call him. Now, sleep."

As Zack drifted off, smiling contentedly, Genesis plucked the phone from Angeal's light grasp and thumbed through Zack's contacts. After checking the current time, and figuring out what Midgar Standard Time was, he decided that Sephiroth was probably still working. The man had _severe _workaholic issues when he and Angeal had first met him and no doubt had reverted to them without having them around to drag him out. Calling Sephiroth directly, he smirked as the General answered promptly. "Zack. You've taken your time in calling. Was the mission a success?"

"More than." Genesis replied easily, chuckling as he heard the soft, surprised intake of breath on the other end. Yes, he'd surprised his old comrade.

"Genesis. Where's Zack?" Why he had his phone was an unspoken question.

"Resting, mostly on 'Geal's lap. He's a bit under the weather." Now was the hard part. Genesis had _never _been good at asking for help.

There was a pause as Genesis gathered his thoughts and Sephiroth waited. But the silver-haired legend would only wait so long, especially once the silence gave away the steady background thrum of the helicopter. "Genesis... where are you?"

"I'm not sure precisely where. When flying _in_ something, it's harder to keep your sense of direction than flying on wing." He noted, rolling his shoulder a little as it itched, wishing he could let his feathered appendage loose. "But, we're on our way back home to Midgar."

For a long moment, Sephiroth was silent, then he could hear a rustling of papers and leather. "I'll meet you on the helipad."

Despite his abrupt end to the conversation, Genesis had to smile. For Sephiroth, that was a fairly warm welcome.

Maybe the puppy was on to something after all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! Leave me a little note - especially if you have a question! I always get around to replying, and I assure you, I'm quite friendly!**

**See you next week! ~KF**


	3. Homecoming

**DISCLAIMER: Nope... still don't own it. D:**

**~ Chapter 3: Homecoming ~**

* * *

><p>Sephiroth had surprised his secretary by quitting work early, leaving his office and putting in a few calls. Most notably, he had called Veld who, as it turned out, knew more than Genesis had deigned to tell him. Not a surprise, really. He <em>had <em>cut Genesis off before he could say more. If, indeed, he had planned to. With Genesis, one couldn't be sure.

Still, he knew what he needed to know to prepare immediately. Zack had managed to do as he had been hoping he would; he'd brought Angeal and Genesis home. Now, he just needed to _keep _them there. Safely. He'd thought he'd lost them before... whatever miracle had changed their minds, he wouldn't lose them again.

Striding up to the helipad, his silver hair whipping behind him like a moonlit banner, the General ignored the various stares he got on his way, only glancing once to the side when he saw a familiar brunette come into view beside him. "Director Veld."

"General Sephiroth." He inclined his head in acknowledgement of the other, then nodded once, to signify that his requests had been taken care of.

Sephiroth smiled faintly. For all the rivalry of their departments, he and Veld actually got along well. The man was very logical, practical, and they'd come to the agreement, eventually, that they wouldn't _outright_ lie to each other. Evasion was natural and a given, but it was... nice... to know that there was always some sort of truth to his words. It was a bit of a game of wits, even, which he appreciated.

They watched the helicopter land in silence, the General holding his breath as he watched the side hatch open, a small blond trooper hopping out first, followed by Hollander, who froze at the sight of both the General of SOLDIER and the Director of the Turks waiting for them. There would be no escape.

And then, impatient as ever, Genesis could be vaguely heard, the scientist likely shoved from the way he stumbled forward. Tseng followed next, gun trained with deceptive leisure on the portly doctor.

Finally, Genesis emerged, carrying a clearly feverish Zack, who was wrapped up in his duster. Angeal came behind him, and Sephiroth felt his breath catch at the abundance of blood on his torn uniform. The need to gather the three of them and sweep them off to his apartment was intense. He managed to restrain himself to merely approaching them, eyes making a visible sweep, noting with concern that Angeal now, too, was degrading.

Zack, he realized upon getting close enough, was somewhat awake and smiling blearily at him. "Heya."

"Good job, Zack." He murmured, tempted to reach out and ruffle the sick First's spikes the way he'd so often seen Angeal do. Instead, he flicked his green-eyed gaze to the two men who had been his very first friends, and his best commanders. With his back to all but them, he allowed himself a small, genuine smile. "Welcome home, all of you."

"Thanks, Sephiroth." Angeal's smile in return was warm, if wan, but he met his gaze with more spirit and focus than he'd had the last time they'd crossed paths. Tired, but far from beaten. It was a good sign.

"While I'd love to have a tea party up here on the helipad... the puppy is going to shake himself to bits if we don't warm him up." Genesis warned dryly.

"I'm fihh-_itshhuu!_" Head bobbing forward with a sudden sneeze, Zack grimaced a little and huddled against Genesis. "Yeah... okay. Maybe not so much."

"Come with me." Sephiroth beckoned them toward the building, waving a hand dismissively as they glanced at Hollander. "Veld will handle him."

"I take it _you_ will 'handle' _us?_" Genesis asked dryly, an auburn brow arched.

"No." Something about that phrasing... bothered him. Though he wasn't sure _why,_ it was suddenly important to make his intentions clear. "I will _take care _of you."

Vibrant blue eyes widened, and suddenly Genesis was without a proper comeback.

Inclining his head, Sephiroth again beckoned, and this time they followed him into the building. Taking the stairs until they could reach the executive elevator, they rode in companionable silence to the floor the trio had once shared, walking to the end of the floor to get to Sephiroth's apartment.

The 'apartment' was really, in fact, two joined SOLDIER First quarters, and thus double in size to what most Firsts had available. Really, he barely used most of it, but right now, he was grateful. It meant he could keep his friends in one place, together, _safe._

"Seph?" Angeal looked to his friend as he paused in the doorway, expression grim. "Sephiroth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He shook the mood off, ushering them inside. In the year that they had been gone, not much seemed to have changed.

Then they caught sight of the kitchen. "Oh _Goddess. _Are those Angeal's...?"

"Yes." Sephiroth watched as Angeal and Genesis exchanged glances, the elder Banoran moving to lay Zack down on the leather couch while the younger approached the kitchen, a variety of brilliant greenery spread out over the granite counter tops. "I couldn't just let them die... after all his effort to make them grow..."

Angeal swallowed back a lump in his throat, touched by the gesture. "Thank you, Sephiroth."

"You're welcome, Angeal." Sephiroth paused to go back and initiate both the electronic and physical locks on the door, then returned to see to Zack. "There are rooms I've set aside... he can stay... you all can stay."

"Great!" Zack grinned at the General, blue eyes shining as he struggled into a sitting position. "Do we get to pick our rooms?"

"_Zack._" Angeal chided softly, smiling in spite of himself; after all he'd put the teen through, it was good to see he was still as bouncy as ever.

"No, they're already determined." Sephiroth gestured back behind himself. "Genesis' room is opposite my own. Yours and Angeal's are on the other side. There's a bathroom on each side... typical First Class apartments. You may wish to shower and change clothes."

"That would be _wonderful._" Genesis plucked at his shirt, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Very well." Sephiroth gestured for Zack to stay seated, and led Genesis down the hall to his room, opening the door and letting the elder man enter first. When he stopped in the doorway, breath catching, the General tensed and looked about. The room was just as he'd left it, with two of the walls covered in bookcases, loaded with books of all kinds. Boxes of materia, bangles, and personal effects were stacked neatly and safely.

"I thought... I was certain Shinra would have destroyed it all..." He murmured breathlessly, gliding forward, as if in a trance, to trace the spine of a random book. "_Sephiroth..._ what you've done..."

"I refused to believe that you would never return." He looked away as Genesis turned his stunned gaze on him. "I could not let you return, and have it all gone..."

"You..." Genesis shook his head numbly, walking further into the room, his eyes scanning the shelves with wonder, a hand trailing over his familiar, crimson bedding and pausing at the closet to check - yes! Sephiroth had brought his clothes over as well. Picking out a pair of silken, crimson pajama pants, he turned and offered an overbright smile, unable to properly express how _grateful_ he was for the unexpected forethought of the younger man. Still, he managed a whispered, 'thank you' before slipping past the silent General and back up the hall to the bathroom.

Standing alone in Genesis' room, Sephiroth smiled faintly; he may not have been an expert on human interaction, but he had a feeling he'd made the right decision, saving his friends' things for them, if Genesis' reaction was anything to go by.

A sudden tone from the living room made his blood run cold. He heard Zack note that someone was at the door, and turned to hurry back.

Visitors were not something he got much of at home, and all he could think was that the President must have caught wind of their arrival and sent someone to retrieve them. _Like HELL they will!_ He wasn't letting _anyone _take them away. Ever.

"Seph, put Masamune down." Angeal cautiously stepped toward his friend, stopping when he registered a low, animalistic sound coming from the silver-haired man's throat. _Goddess, is he growling?_"Sephiroth..."

"Get in the kitchen." He barked, startling both of the other two Firsts into backing away when he waved his blade to encourage them. Once satisfied that they were out of the immediate line of sight, he opened the door and towered over the... _Second Class SOLDIER?_

"Kunsel!" Zack waved enthusiastically, coughing briefly before taking a tentative step out of the kitchen. "What's with the box?"

"The General asked me to bring your things..." Kunsel trailed off, looking at said General a bit nervously. It had almost seemed like the man was ready to take his head off when he'd opened the door!

Sephiroth relaxed, remembering abruptly having made the call to Zack's friend earlier. He wouldn't have recognized him - the helmets were wonderful for anonymity - but apparently Zack did. That was good enough for the moment. "Come in, then."

"Sir!" Kunsel picked up a large box with the official Shinra logo stamped on the side, and carried it in to the apartment. "Where should I put it?"

"He hasn't shown us our rooms yet." Zack shrugged, sniffling and rubbing at his nose a moment, before looking to Sephiroth pointedly.

He didn't bother to respond right away, busy securing the doorway again, but after he was satisfied, he returned his attention to the two teens and Angeal. Gesturing for them to follow him, he cut through to the parallel living space, which served as his study and personal library, and passed down the hall to the two bedrooms, opening the door to the empty one. "Here."

"Great! Thanks." Zack came in, gesturing to a spot at the foot of the bed where Kunsel could set the box. "'Geal, if you want to hit the showers first, I'll be okay. Kunsel can sit with me - you don't have duty, right?"

"Nothing I can't put off." Kunsel smiled, ruffling his younger friend's hair, kneeling down to get his friend's things unpacked for him. "No - you sit. No offense, man, but you look like shit."

"Heh. Feels about right." Zack sighed, waving off the older two Firsts. "Go on. I'm not going anywhere."

"See that you don't." Sephiroth agreed, turning and ushering Angeal across the hall to his room. He had been somewhat surprised by Angeal's 'collections' as it were. The former Commander wasn't a man who highly prized material things, but he _did_ have them, and his General made sure they were recovered and kept safe for the return Zack had given him hope for.

Angeal looked about the room, and was surprised to see his old wooden desk - they'd laughed at that, but it was one of the furniture pieces he adored - polished to a professional grade, looking better than he'd seen it in years. On top, propped between twin wolf bookends were his handwritten journals, an indulgence he hadn't had time for in nearly a year. On impulse, he opened the top drawers, and was pleased to find his pens and... "_Oh..._"

Removing his gloves, he gently reached down into the top right drawer, pulling out a stack of letters, tied with ribbon. Letters from his friends back home, but more importantly his _mother. _A priceless remembrance of happier times. "Sephiroth..."

"I didn't read any of it." He assured him quickly. "But... they seemed important."

"They are." The former Commander murmured roughly, placing them back in the drawer with gentle care. He smiled faintly, looking around the room, remembering all his plants in the kitchen, and noting an entire bookshelf decorated with labeled containers of various odds and ends he had taken as souvenirs from different locales and missions. On the bottom shelf there was a large photo album he recognized, with pages from his cadet days through not long before that fateful summer the year before, when Genesis had been wounded in the spar. His camera was likely in the desk.

Mounted on the other wall decoratively, but within easy access, was his modest weapon collection, mostly daggers and knives, though he possessed a fine pair of fighting gloves as well, sitting in the bottom of his wardrobe beside his alternate pairs of SI gloves. Most of his wardrobe consisted of Standard Issue items, though he _did_ have some casual clothes for the times Genesis had drug him out to various plays or when he was on vacation. And of course, he had a pair of soft knit pants and shirt, which he grabbed from the closet, pausing by the dresser for socks and boxer briefs. "If you don't mind, I'll go get cleaned up."

"By all means." Sephiroth nodded. He had matters of his own to settle.

Crossing back to his study, he sat down with his laptop and considered how best to break the news to the Director.

_Taking Leave_  
><em>To: Director Lazard Deusericus,<em>  
><em>From: General Sephiroth<em>

_I am writing to inform you that I will be taking advantage of my untouched leave and sick days for the foreseeable future. It is advisable, given the stress of his last mission, that SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair be given leave as well._

_I will oversee it personally. To that effect, his belongings have been moved to my quarters, where he will be _resting. _I will be most displeased if anyone interrupts his recuperation, and may take reasonable action to remove them from my home._

_- Sephiroth_

The General eyed his email a moment, before nodding and sending it off. It seemed more than reasonable enough, though it would remain to be seen how 'reasonable' Lazard would be. Whatever happened, he _would_ be ready. He would protect those that were his. He would not lose them again.

Of course... now came the hard part. _Taking care _of them. He'd given his word after all. He'd provided their own familiar clothing and shelter, and a measure of safety. Hot water and other amenities were doubtlessly appreciated, but they needed food and drink as well. He grimaced a little at that; considering his fresh goods were in precious little supply, they were fortunate he had a variety of canned foodstuffs that Angeal had stocked him with ages ago. Hopefully, they were still good. He would have to check and see.

Walking to the kitchen that _wasn't_ covered in plants, he frowned deeply as he tried to think of what he could possibly fix to sate the appetites of four First Class SOLDIERs. Looking through his fridge, he sighed; he had coffee, and knew he had tea in the cupboard, as well as juice in the fridge, a carton of eggs and a small portion of fresh fruit. He'd also had the Banora Whites left behind in Genesis' apartment either canned or turned to applebutter, to make them last, the seeds dried and kept in carefully labeled and sealed packages. After the destruction of Banora, he'd been especially grateful he had.

Peeking in the freezer, he relaxed a little as he realized he had some sort of large, frozen meat - a ham, likely - that the company had given him over the last holiday. Why, he wasn't sure. Why he'd _kept _it was even more puzzling, but he was thankful for it now. Getting it out, he set it on the island and resumed his search, eventually ending up in the pantry.

Soft footsteps preceded one of his SOLDIERs into the kitchen, and he peered back over his shoulder to find a freshly washed Genesis watching him with an amused, yet touched, smile. "You really are going to take care of us, aren't you?"

"I had said as much, had I not?" He replied, going back to figuring out what to eat with the ham. If he remembered from occasions at Angeal's, there was some green bean dish he made with a crunchy topping that was quite tasty... and a 'potato salad' though it didn't remind him of a salad at all... and eggs that were 'deviled' - Genesis had some outlandish explanation for that, but he didn't believe it.

The only problem was, he wasn't sure he had what was needed for those things. Looking through the contents, he found some canned green beans and set out a few, then noted a box with a picture of mashed potatoes on it. Intrigued, he read the back and discovered that he could apparently make 'instant' mashed potatoes with milk, butter and the contents of the package. _Interesting._

"Making a ham dinner, Sephiroth?" Unlike Genesis, Angeal had managed to sneak up on the General as he was lost in thought, socked feet hushed over the polished floors.

"That is the idea, yes." He glanced back, and felt warmed by the impressed look on the more culinary-arts-inclined SOLDIER's face.

"Would you like a hand? It's been a while since I've felt useful." Angeal asked, approaching the island.

Had he asked any other way, the General might have been inclined to try to do it on his own. But, the appeal was too genuine to turn down. That he had missed working alongside the older man in any capacity may also have had something to do with it. "I suppose I could do with some direction."

"That I can do." Hewley smiled warmly, pleased to have his offer accepted by his notoriously independent friend.

"I suppose I could devil eggs..." Genesis suggested, winking at the pair.

Sephiroth looked at him blandly. "If you suggest again that we are feasting on the cowardly souls of our enemies -"

"Did I say that?" The poetic warrior asked innocently.

"- who have been given to us by the Goddess in purified form to be redeemed by becoming one with us -"

"Hm, that does sound a _little _familiar..." He admitted, tapping his chin.

"- I may have to ban you from quoting _Loveless_for the evening, by penalty of 'sword-smack.'"

Genesis blinked. "Sword... smack?"

"Granted, it would be more threatening with Angeal's Buster Sword..." Sephiroth conceded, summoning his legendary nodachi. "But I assure you, if I were to 'smack' you with the flat of the blade, you'd feel it."

"But... _sword-smack?_" The auburn haired man shook his head. "Hardly one of your classier technique titles."

Sephiroth's lips twitched into a fond smile. "Zack named it."

Genesis snorted, but all Angeal could do was smile. "I suppose I need to thank you again."

Catslit green eyes blinked at him in confusion. "Whatever for?"

"For looking after Zack." The SOLDIER First busied himself almost mechanically with preparing the ham as he talked. "I put him through... so much... I'm glad he had a friend to lean on. He'll need that."

"You will not leave again." Whether that was one of Sephiroth's oddly phrased, monotone questions, or indeed the order it appeared to be, Angeal simply shrugged.

"Not by choice, no. But..."

"_My friend, the fates are cruel... there are no dreams, no honor remains... the arrow has left the bow of the Goddess."_ Genesis quoted thoughtfully when his comrade faltered. "Things have been put in action, mostly by _my _actions, that may not be so easily reversed, Sephiroth. It is quite possible the President will order our execution and we will have to flee."

"The President is a weak old man, past his prime, who relies on his Turks but _ultimately_ his SOLDIERs to keep him safe." Sephiroth murmured, green eyes burning. "If he thinks he can take you away from me - _if he tries - _I will leave myself... and take SOLDIER with me. "

"Sephiroth..." Angeal was stunned by the barely contained fierceness in his friend's voice.

"I will not lose you again."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter Three! Yay! Okay, so it's late and I'm really tired... all the good betaing was LadyoftheDrow... any mistakes in translation were mine.**


	4. The SOLDIER's Turk

**DISCLAIMER: Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have FFVII's creator rights... **

**(what do you _mean_ it doesn't work that way?)**

**SHOUTOUT: Got some pretty cool reviews, and of course, I commented back to each of you! Thanks for sticking with me and loving this story as much as I love it. :D Also, love to my beta, LadyoftheDrow, who is making me a better writer by letting me watch her beta and explaining my mistakes to me so I -hopefully- don't repeat them!  
><strong>

**~ Chapter 4: The SOLDIER's Turk ~**

* * *

><p>Kunsel wasn't the all-time optimist that his best friend was. At times, he envied the younger teen his cheery attitude, not that he was particularly grim himself, but he was aware of the grim realities of the company they served. Although, considering the condition he and the Commanders had returned in... perhaps Zack was getting a wake-up call as well.<p>

It was a bit of a shock, to see Commanders Hewley and Rhapsodos again, despite never having believed they were _actually_ dead. Not that they looked very lively, especially Angeal. Of course, most of it he attributed to blood loss, judging by the state of Angeal's uniform at the time of his arrival, but no matter _how_ much blood you lost, your hair generally stayed the same color. This... zebra thing he had going on was just odd. It was like some sort of advanced aging or something, but he couldn't imagine what would have _caused _it.

Frowning, he checked the time; Zack had only been in the bathroom for five minutes. Granted, he could have been in-and-out by now, but he didn't blame him for luxuriating a little after a long mission. He'd give him another five minutes and then check on him. In the mean time, out came the phone.

Reaching into his inventory pouch, he pulled out his mini-keyboard and, after a simple adjustment to the PHS's number pad, had a mini-laptop to work with. Not the best quality, it was little better than the original phone, but it was small and easy to use for hacking into the ShinRa mainframe. First, he checked the travel log from the helicopter Zack and the others had arrived in. Scanning the times of "_Departure from Midgar" - "Arrival in Modeoheim" - "Departure from Modeoheim" -_ wait... weren't those two practically back-to-back? Looking again, he realized that the _Departure from Midgar_ was well after he _knew _Zack had all ready left for Modeoheim. Which meant...

Flipping through the archive, he found record to confirm his suspicion. There _had_ been a helicopter sent out earlier to Modeoheim, likely with Zack on it. This one was listed as 'no longer in service' - complete with a referenced report number, which he snuck a peek at. Skimming down, he noted, "_... shot down by enemy unit. Damage from crash determined to be too extensive for feasible repairs." _He read further, expression turning grim as he realized that the only ones to live through the mission were Zack, a single trooper, and Tseng - and the fact that Tseng had gone made him wary of what 'enemy unit' they had encountered. Were there dragons in the area? Or perhaps Genesis had even -

"Kunsel?" Zack padded back into the room, toweling off his hair. "What are you doing?"

"If I don't tell you, you can't get in trouble for knowing." He reminded him.

"Kuns, we're "harboring" two reportedly K.I.A. SOLDIERs. Trouble is bound to happen, so share." He flopped on the bed, laying on his side so he could see what Kunsel was looking at. "Are you hacking? _Again?_"

"Mmhm." He'd managed to note that Hollander had come back with them before Zack had sat down, and rapidly switched to the security feeds, moving to the prisoner cells. After a moment, he found Hollander's. But he wasn't alone. "Oh no..."

"Hey, that's Hojo! Can we listen in?"

"Yeah. Close the door." Kunsel adjusted the volume just slightly, and set his phone to record the exchange.

_"You realize, I have the power to spare your life if you cooperate, Hollander." _Hojo was saying. _"The President gives me what I want."_

_"You're wasting your time, Hojo. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't 'give' you Angeal and Genesis. Your Sephiroth has them now."_

Hojo hummed_. "Does he? Well, well. That may complicate things a little, but it's nothing I can't handle. Sephiroth can be persuaded."_

"Don't count on it." Zack muttered, scowling.

"Ssh." Kunsel hushed him.

_"- won't be much use to you. They're dying." _Hollander informed him sourly.

_"Ahh yes. The degradation. I knew you were bluffing with your 'cures'." _Hojo cackled unpleasantly. _"I'm surprised Rhapsodos let you _live _after he found out you were lying through your teeth. He never struck me as the merciful type. Nevertheless, everyone has a price at which they can be bought, and you've all ready proven how far he'll go for a cure."_

_"Oh? Did you have to cure your Sephiroth?" _Hollander jeered, but gasped when Hojo brandished a set of disks. _"What - how _dare _you steal my work!_"

_"You imply I _need _it." _Hojo scoffed. _"I merely wished to determine what all you've _done wrong_ - necessary information to salvage your failures. With these on hand, I will have an easier time of determining what a fool you've been and how thoroughly you've wasted resources. I may even report it to the President. Unless, of course -_"

"Zack?"

"Shit!" Zack attempted to jump up, but his coordination when ill was lacking its usual finesse and he tumbled off the bed while Kunsel quickly erased his tracks and replaced his number pad on his PHS. He managed to help Zack up onto the bed, just moments before Angeal knocked. "Come in."

"Not fooling around, are they?"

"Genesis!" Angeal sighed, glaring down the hall even as he opened the door. "Dinner will be in a couple hours. However, if you need something sooner, Gen made some deviled eggs."

"You didn't answer my question." Genesis noted, coming to lean in the doorway and peer at the teens. "Tch. Don't kids these days do _anything _worthwhile in their spare time?"

"I do squats." Zack offered, shrugging.

"Something _interesting._" The red clad man clarified.

The teen thought about it, though not long enough to consider the implications. "Kunsel hacks."

"ZACK!" Kunsel choked, raising a hand and clenching it in exasperation; Zack may have just accepted Angeal and Genesis back, but Kunsel hadn't gotten any promises of _his _safety yet and wasn't at all sure how he felt about them.

"Kuns." Zack gave him a rare, somber look, and he froze, trying to interpret it. When a moment passed with nothing but silence, Fair turned to his mentor with a pleading look. "Can you guys give us a moment?"

"Of course." Angeal took Genesis by the arm before he could protest, leading him out and shutting the door.

Knowing that a mere _door _wouldn't stop them from hearing, Zack pulled out his PHS.

_Telling Secrets_  
><em>To: Kunsel<em>  
><em>From: Zack<em>

_Look, I'm sorry if I upset you telling them that, ok? But, what we overheard... they should know if Professor Creepy is plotting something with Doctor Nutjob._

Kunsel read the text and snorted, replying quickly and succinctly.

_One question_  
><em>To: Zack<em>  
><em>From: Kunsel<em>

_Do you trust them?_

Zack frowned, raking a hand back through his hair and absently touching his cheek where the 'x' shaped scar had formed, forever a reminder of Angeal's betrayal. _Did _he trust them? Did he dare? "I don't know, Kuns."

Kunsel was quiet a moment, before sighing. "All right. That's not a 'no' and the General does... enough to take them back into the fold, so... for now, we'll do it. Call them back in."

"'Geal?" Zack raised his voice a little, to give the SOLDIERs the chance to pretend they hadn't been trying to overhear. Angeal, perhaps, hadn't, but he wouldn't put it past Genesis. "You can come back in now."

The door eased open, the two senior SOLDIERs returning, Angeal concerned and serious, Genesis mildly amused. Looking to Kunsel, Zack scooted back to give them room to sit if they so chose. "You wanna...?"

"Maybe we should involve the General as well." Kunsel didn't exactly want to repeat his 'report' twice.

"Sephiroth is talking to the Director at the moment." Angeal noted. "Perhaps we should wait?"

"That's fine." Kunsel agreed, happy for the extra time to think.

"I wonder what they're talking about..." Zack mused, stretching back on the bed, blue eyes closing sleepily.

"There's always the possibility the Director was notified of our return." Angeal mentioned quietly, moving to stand by his apprentice, looking down at him. "You're exhausted, aren't you?"

"Aren't _you?"_ He retorted, looking up at the other man, frowning at how very _pale_ he still was. Part of the Legendary Trio or not, Angeal _was_ still human - no matter how much he may have debated it, or what sort of freaky thing he transformed into. And a human, even Enhanced, could only take _so much._

"I'll be all right, now." Angeal smiled reassuringly, reaching down to lightly tousle the teen's hair. "Don't you spend too much time worrying about me; what I really need is for you to recover."

"It's just a cold, Angeal. I've been through worse." Zack would've liked to have given the man a more biting reply, about how _he_ needed to take care of himself, and how he'd enlist Sephiroth _and_ Genesis to make it happen, but the soft touch on his hair quieted him to a soft grumble. He'd tried not to think about it, but he'd sorely missed Angeal's little touches and soft smiles. Nothing big, just simple gestures of friendship and encouragement, but they warmed him to the core.

Goddess, and he'd almost lost all that!

Angeal heard the soft catch of breath below him, and watched Zack's eyes unfocus and water. Frowning, he touched his cheek. "Are you sure you're all right?"

_I killed you, and you're asking ME if I'M all right? _Blue eyes blinked up at the revived First, and he laughed weakly, shaking his head. That was so... so typical of Angeal. Blinking blearily, he snuffled and wiped his eyes, and giggled a little without really knowing why. Nerves, perhaps; he felt distinctly frayed, the Modeoheim mission, and what had nearly happened there, weighing heavily on him - like his chest was being squeezed in a giant fist.

"Zack?" Angeal cupped the teen's face in his palm, tipping his head up when it drooped down, luminous eyes gently closing. "Zack!"

A breathy whimper sparked almost frantic worry in the older First as he sat on the side of the bed, barely balancing in the small spot at the teen's waist where there was room to sit. Carefully, he started a visual inventory - cursing himself for not doing one sooner. What if he'd been seriously hurt in the fight? A small, 'x' shaped scar on his cheek he didn't remember and thin, upraised scars like white welts against his tanned torso, indicating an injury to his side - all healed by a potion, and not by a Restore. Guilt struck again, as he realized that Zack wouldn't have had the magic left to cast even a low level spell, after all the Cures he used on stabilizing him. "Does he need to go to the Infirmary?"

Genesis' voice was soft, little more than a breath by his ear, soft and concerned. Angeal stroked the inky black spikes and debated with himself. On the one hand, he only wanted the best care for Zack. On the other... he wasn't so sure that the best care would come from _ShinRa._"I -"

"'m ok." The youth muttered, dragging his eyes open and looking up at the pair. "Don't need to go anywhere."

"Where are you going?" The silver General stood in the doorway, looking warily between his two oldest friends, barely able to see Zack's upper body for their hovering.

"Sephiroth!" Zack whined. "Don't let them take me!"

Green eyes narrowed, and before anyone could move, he was in the room, door shutting with an ominous click. "No one is going anywhere. I thought I had made that clear?"

"He may need to go down to the Infirmary." Angeal murmured, keeping his voice and posture as nonthreatening as possible, instinctively, in face of his friend's tense stance. "His fever has spiked, and I don't know if there are any lingering injuries -"

"You think _your_ prodigy, someone close to _me_ as well, would be safe in the Infirmary? Now?" Sephiroth scoffed. "No, Angeal. When we bring a doctor here, they will be hand picked, and most importantly, they will be here, where only a select few have access. Most notably, _not _Professor Hojo."

"We can't just hole up here forever, Sephiroth!" Genesis argued quietly.

"Not forever." He cut him off quickly, frowning. "Just... for now. Angeal and Zack are too vulnerable at the moment to go out, and even were they not, I prefer we stick together, until we determine what actions the President is going to take when he finds out about your return."

"Ah yes, Tseng _would _report." Genesis nodded. "And Veld was there to greet us, too, was he not?"

"I requested his presence, yes." Sephiroth inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Ignoring departmental politics... Turks are good allies to have."

"And are they?" Pale blue eyes rolled, as the younger man turned to look at him. "Our allies?"

The General considered it, nodding. "Yes, I would count them as such."

"And then there's the 'SOLDIER's Turk'..." Zack chuckled, winking at Kunsel. "You're on our side, right buddy?"

"I seem to be." He chuckled softly, unable to resist Zack's enthusiasm, even as toned down as it was. While they'd been talking, he'd done what he did best - gather information. There had been a time when Kunsel had proclaimed Angeal as the 'Spiritual Leader' of SOLDIER, and, looking at him now... hovering over his apprentice with a worried frown despite his own condition, he was reminded of some of what drew so many to the man. Plants were far from all he nurtured, and only one example of how well things could thrive in his care.

He didn't know why Genesis had left, or why Angeal had followed, but, he knew that they _had_ come _back._ And though he and Zack hadn't discussed it, he knew their return was a great weight off the young First's shoulders. He'd not been close to Genesis, never even really _knew_ him - though surely he knew _of_ the fiery First - but Angeal... Angeal meant the world to Zack. Without even discussing the missions, Kunsel could tell when Angeal was involved and if something went badly; it took the twinkle out of his eyes and the bounce out of his step. When it was particularly bad, Zack either quit exercising or went and overworked his body while trying to work things through in his head. There was some special bond between mentor and student, and he hoped that they could rebuild what bits of it had ruined from neglect. Zack would try.

"So tell me... Kunsel, was it?" Genesis asked, amused. "Why does he call you the 'SOLDIER's Turk'? Not a double agent, are you?"

"Obviously. That's why I shared an apartment with _Zack._" Kunsel snorted. "Because I get two fabulous paychecks."

"If you naturally have a Turk skill set, you would assume they'd have snatched you up." Angeal mused, also intrigued.

"Not everyone shows off, Sir." He noted dryly. "You've just gotten a biased view based on Fair."

"Hey!"

"Hush, puppy." Genesis winked at the pouting teen, chuckling. "Now, what skills then? Hacking and...?"

"Intel-gathering in general is his _thing._" Zack explained. "He KNOWS."

"What does he know, Zack?" Angeal asked, a little startled by the drop in pitch in his student's attempt to be both very serious and slightly ominous.

"All."

"_Fair." _Kunsel groaned, embarrassed.

"Seriously, man, you know _everything._ That's why we need you on _our_ side." The youngest First hefted himself into a sitting position, swatting at Angeal when he went to encourage him to lay back down. "No, no. I want to see him. This is important. We're holding a meeting, with General Sephiroth, and his two best Commanders, and of course, me and Kunsel here! This is big stuff!"

"Never mind that two of us are Missing-In-Action." Genesis muttered.

"Killed-In-Action." Sephiroth noted, calm even though he wondered at the way the other three Firsts paled. Especially Zack. "It was announced after Zack's promotion to First."

"April 1st... I thought it was a hell of a joke." Zack muttered numbly, not even sure the words passed his lips. _Killed-in-Action... _and they would have been, by his hand, if not for Genesis' stubborn streak and a little luck on his own part.

"Zack?" Angeal brushed his hand over a fevered cheek, frowning. "Maybe we should wait to have this discussion."

"'m fine." He tried to brush Angeal off, but the man was persistent.

"You're burning up." His frown deepened to his 'we have a problem, and I expect to see some effort at solving it' frown, normally saved for missions. Flicking his gaze to Sephiroth, he asked softly. "Did you have any doctors in mind?"

"It's a _cold,_ Angeal." Zack grumbled, torn between being glad to know he still cared and irritated at being treated like a chicobo who needed its mother hen. "I'll be fine."

"You don't get fevers like this with a cold, Zack." His mentor disagreed. "It's some sort of respiratory virus -"

"_Mild_ respiratory virus!"

"- I'd like to make sure it stays that way, all right?" He stared Zack down until the teen slumped back with a sigh, then resumed looking at Sephiroth pointedly. "Seph?"

"There's a doctor I've worked with I might suggest. She's pretty level, and while she's worked _with_ Hojo and Hollander, she doesn't work _for_ either." Kunsel noted softly, straightening subconsciously when catslit green eyes turned on him.

"That would be... ideal." Sephiroth mused. "She has worked with SOLDIERs, but isn't under Hojo's thumb?"

"Right." He nodded, pulling out his phone. "Professor Amber Rayleigh - she's primarily a researcher here at ShinRa, I'm not even sure if she's _officially _Science Department staff. She could belong to any of the other areas; bright lady of many talents."

The General made a musing sound and held out his hand for the phone, which Kunsel handed over after bringing up the profile. He didn't miss the slight, amused twitch of lips on his lips as he scanned the profile. "If you made this, you were _very_ thorough... who all do you have in here, I cannot help but wonder?"

"Most of them are just downloaded profiles, double-checked for accuracy. No big deal." He shrugged modestly, but couldn't resist a small smile at the praise.

"Do you find many discrepancies?" Sephiroth handed the phone back, tilting his head curiously.

"Sometimes. I suspect there's more than I find. I have quite a few flagged to monitor that I'm simply suspicious of." He glanced at Zack as a laugh turned into a cough. "Laugh it up. I've saved you more than once with my knowledge."

"_Helped._ I probably would have been fine." Zack disagreed, grinning playfully, though it was clear his energy was waning.

Angeal wasn't much better off, leaning subtly against Genesis, pallor more pronounced against the charcoal tones of his sleep clothes, making him look sickly as well. Genesis, for all that he was obviously degrading, still had a fair amount of energy - or at least put on a good show. It was hard to say with him.

A soft 'ding' from the other side of the apartment, heard only by grace of their enhancements, made Genesis and Angeal move, the latter rising and slowly squaring his shoulders, glancing at Sephiroth, remembering all too clearly the _last _time someone rang the doorbell. "Are we expecting anyone?"

Sephiroth chuckled softly, heading for the door. "_That_ would be our Director."


	5. Allies

**DISCLAIMER: Is it so wrong to say I _wish_ it was?**

**SHOUTOUT: Had some really nice reviews last chapter... thank you! I feel really good about this fic. Keep 'em coming, I'll be sure to get back to you.  
><strong>

**~ Chapter 5: Allies ~**

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><p>Director Lazard hadn't been sure what to think when he got Sephiroth's email that evening. He had, of course, gotten word that Fair had finally returned from Modeoheim, but had yet to receive an actual report. And so he did a little... investigation.<p>

Finding out that both Angeal and Genesis had returned, apparently of their own free will, was both a wonderful thing to hear and a worrisome one. He liked Angeal, hell, he was even reasonably fond of Genesis as well and seeing them return, knowing they were all right... or rather, _not dead _at least... was a huge relief. He had hated every time he'd had to order Zack after them, and prayed, every night, that the teen could do the impossible -

Well, not _so_ impossible. Zack _had _brought them home. They were likely with Sephiroth now, though the General hadn't stated it outright. Would have been a fool to, over something as hackable as email. And Sephiroth was no fool.

Lazard was beginning to wonder, however, if _he _had been one. Allying with Hollander had _seemed_ like the thing to do at the time. He was chafing, unacknowledged and indeed, _scorned _under his father's tightfisted reign. His half-brother, Rufus, of course, was still likely unaware of him - Shinra Sr. had warned him not to tell the brat prince anything. What did he expect? The pair to align and destroy him? If anything, Rufus would want rid of his older sibling, seeing him as a threat; only Sephiroth had more of the military's allegiance. All of SOLDIER would follow his every command, and, if it came down to it, Lazard was willing to bet on a good majority of the army as well - even if they had conflicting orders.

_Orders..._ He frowned, thinking of the missions refused by Sephiroth to track down first Genesis, and later Angeal. Sephiroth had not grown into the pawn Hojo and Shinra had been hoping for, was not even the unquestioning boy he had once been. No, he was a man with priorities now, and it seemed that his friends were at the top of his list. A refreshing change, and one he could work with.

After putting in a casual call to the General, to make sure he was, indeed, home, he asked if he might stop by and discuss how to best meet his needs during his time off, stating that it was his priority that his Firsts be kept at their best.

Sephiroth, as predicted, did not miss the reference.

Ten minutes later, upon the General's own invite, Lazard found himself being welcomed into the silver General's home. "General Sephiroth. Thank you for your time."

"And yours, Director." He allowed him in, before securing the door once more, smiling coolly. "No offense, but I'm not in the mood for most company."

"No, I imagine not, given the company you already _have." _He noted, watching sly feline eyes turn and fix on him, at which point he smiled gently, producing his briefcase. "Is there somewhere we can sit down and discuss things?"

"My office, if you'll follow me." Of course, this meant trekking further into the apartment, but Lazard didn't mind. He knew the General wouldn't kill him without good reason, and didn't plan on providing one.

Sephiroth returned to the second living room portion, where he had his office/library set up. "Zack is laying down. He's ill."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't try to collect his report now. The President can wait a while for it." Deusericus noted wryly, smiling as the legendary swordsman relaxed slightly. Now, to be a bit bolder. "How are the others?"

The General's green eyes burned brighter as his face lost its bit of good humor. "Tell me, first, why you're _really _here. What is your agenda, Director?"

"I didn't lie, General. I'm interested in the welfare of all my SOLDIERs." He straightened his shoulders, and looked the taller man in the eye, willing him to read the honesty in his words. "However, because of mistakes I've seen many of them suffer."

"Mistakes?" Genesis' cool voice interrupted, amused. "I desert with the bulk of your men - never mind that ShinRa's constantly churning out more, I took trained SOLDIERs, not _cadets -_ and you call it a mistake? 'Whoopsie! There goes Genesis, running off with ShinRa's live resources! _Tsk tsk!_'"

"_Genesis._" Sephiroth cut off anything further, holding up a hand for silence, which was thankfully granted, though the rogue SOLDIER's smirk spoke volumes.

"Listening to Hollander," Lazard sighed, adjusting his glasses with a frown, "- is a mistake we have _both_ made. At least _you _had a reason, however. I merely had an excuse."

"You funded him." Genesis looked stunned, but sure, uncrossing his arms and pushing off the wall he'd been leaning on. "I knew he was still receiving ShinRa funds... but I never imagined..."

"You were not the only one to have..." He paused, trying to find the safest, but most accurate word, "_issues_ with his father. I was tired of being used. Tired of doing my best, and not being good enough for acknowledgement. Tired of the little slights and verbal jabs that I couldn't reply to, if I wanted to keep my job. Just... tired of it all."

Sephiroth was quiet for a long moment. He had often _suspected, _but to hear Lazard all but confirm it... "You are Shinra's son?"

"In blood only." He scowled. "He's no father to me, never has been. He only took interest in me once he realized he could gain something from me."

"I see." The General considered this information, before making his guess. "You joined Hollander, hoping, with Genesis and his rogue forces, to ruin Shinra?"

"I... am no longer sure what I hoped to achieve. Recognition, I suppose." He shook his head, sighing bitterly. "But yes, that was Hollander's goal."

"Clearly, you have changed your mind. Whether that is simply because Hollander is in custody and Genesis has returned, or because of a change of heart, I do not care." Sephiroth smiled wryly. "You're here, to offer your assistance, in a time when we both need allies, yes?"

"While I wouldn't go so far as to say I am not still angry with the President... yes, I'm here offering my assistance." He nodded, gesturing to the desk. "May I?"

"Certainly."

The briefcase was set on the desk, and sprung open, revealing thick files, stamped with 'Project G' on them. Noting the two SOLDIERs flanking him, he spoke softly. "I made copies of everything Hollander took from the building. While it's not the complete project files, it should help in figuring out your... health issues... in the right hands."

Genesis picked up the files, staring at them, then looked at the file below it, the 'Jenova Project' - which Sephiroth quickly snatched up. "Why is my mother's name on this?"

"The Jenova Project, if I made sense of Hollander's ramblings... and the occasional overheard conversation between Hojo and the President... is the parent project that split into 'Project G' and 'Project S.'" Lazard explained, pausing before his voice took on a gentler tone. "General. I do not pretend to understand the Jenova Project. But, one thing is clear to me: despite whatever has been told to you, Jenova is _not_ your mother."

Catslit green eyes looked at him blankly, and Genesis felt compelled to add. "He is likely correct, Sephiroth. From what I know of Jenova... she is not capable of bearing a child, and certainly not one such as you. You are enhanced, yes, more than anyone... but you are still human."

"And Jenova... she is not?" He hated discussing this in front of Lazard, but he needed these answers. Had long searched for them, knowing nothing of his 'mother' but her name. And even that was just a word given to him by Hojo. What did he really know? Who could he trust?

Opening the Jenova Project file, he found himself looking at a picture of the late Professor Gast, with Doctor Hollander and Professor Hojo flanking him, each one with a woman at their side. Reading the caption, he was shocked to realize the one beside Hollander was, in fact, Gillian Hewley - Angeal's mother. Suspicion creeping into him, he looked at the other woman and stared. Her hair... the arch of her bangs... the shape of her eyes and brows... _she looks... like... me._ "Lazard. Who is Lucrecia Crescent? Where did you get this file?"

"It was liberated from the Turk's archive, I believe." Lazard raised a brow at the sudden dark frown on the General's face, watching warily as he politely, if a bit stiffly excused himself and exited for the kitchen, pulling out his PHS from an inner pocket of his leather duster. "Well now. That's not a good sign."

"No, but things always get more interesting when he gets that way." Genesis mused, not at all worried. After all, he had gotten away with not answering Sephiroth on the issue of Jenova's species. He was not at all eager to tell the younger man that the one he called 'mother' was some 2000+ year old _creature _who ShinRa's scientists unearthed from the Northern Crater. "So, tell me, Director, what do you plan to do with two KIA SOLDIERs?"

"I suppose a great deal of that will depend on your willingness to work with the company again." He noted. "I would be more than happy to have you back."

"Yes, but there is the small matter of the figurehead of the company, and the rest of the Board of Directors." Genesis remarked; perhaps it was his upbringing, perhaps it was his nature, but he'd always had a mind for politics, and ShinRa politics were rather predictable. "They'll need to be presented with some large advantage to having Angeal and I back. One that we do not outwardly present at the moment."

Lazard managed not to grimace at the gesture to his streaked hair and dry, cracking skin, signs of degradation, remaining neutral and nodding. "Yes. Well, I'm sure we'll think of something. After all, what they don't know won't hurt us... and what they assume can possibly help."

A soft, amused, chuckle from the fiery First brought out shared smiles between the pair; Genesis resumed flipping through the 'Project G' files while Lazard idly looked around. The library/office space was much more... lived in... then he'd expected, given the starkness of Sephiroth's work space.

He found it reassuring, these hints of the man behind the war machine so prized by Shinra and Hojo. A man could be reached, reasoned with, made an ally. _A very valuable ally._

"I take it you got a hold of Veld?" Genesis didn't even glance up, simply able to somehow _know _Sephiroth was returning, a moment before the silver General actually re-entered the room.

"Yes. He'll be here as soon as he tracks down Professor Rayleigh." He settled himself at the desk, drumming his fingertips once in a rare show of impatience before rising again. "Shouldn't the ham be ready?"

"Hm, likely so. Angeal must've forgotten, what with the puppy sick..." Genesis agreed, turning to head down the hall, calling back over his shoulder. "I'll ask!"

By this point, both Zack and Angeal were laying down on the bed, Zack having fallen to sleep with a hand gripping a fistful of his soft sleepshirt and Angeal both pleased to have his student near, and far too tired to protest anyway. Kunsel was at the closet, hanging up Zack's clothes for later, and casually saluted when Genesis came in. "Hey."

"Are they...?"

"'m awake." Angeal murmured, sighing tiredly, blue eyes fluttering open. "What'd you need, Gen?"

"Don't move. Just checking to see if I should get the ham out now." He couldn't help but smile; the pair made an endearing picture.

"Mmhm, check with the meat thermometer but don't touch the bone." The younger Banoran instructed, knowing what to do even in his sleep. "Should be around 160 degrees."

Genesis nodded slowly, refusing to admit he had no idea what Angeal was talking about. He cooked, yes, but not like _this. _"Alright. I'll... go do that."

Turning swiftly, he missed the little wry smirk on Angeal's lips, and was already in the hall by the time Kunsel snorted mirthfully. Sephiroth, of course, was waiting for him. "What did he say?"

"We can take it out, if the temperature of the meat is at least 160 degrees." Genesis replied calmly, as if he'd known all along. He was satisfied to see the blank, 'no-understanding' look in the General's verdant eyes. Unfortunately, that also meant he'd get no _help_ from the man. "Do you _have _a meat thermometer?"

"You are free to look." Sephiroth gestured to the kitchen, and Genesis grimaced internally. _No help at all. _"The layout is the same as Angeal's kitchen."

"Right." Genesis walked purposefully into the kitchen, and surveyed the many cabinets and drawers. _Which one? Damn it, 'Geal, you label everything _else! _Why can't you label your kitchen supplies?_

After a moment of Genesis' glare at the countertop increasing to Bahamut proportions at the innocent cookware, it occurred to Sephiroth that perhaps there might be something amiss. Fortunately, the doorbell saved him from having to determine what to say to clarify the situation - without justifying use of Fire Materia to the crimson-clad warrior. "I'll get that."

Lazard watched his General stride from the room, and if he was a little swifter than normal, he wouldn't be the one to point it out. Turning to Genesis, he noted him finally beginning to prod the drawers, pulling them out and peering inside, grumbling. It was most amusing, but he had a feeling it would be best not to let it drag out and have the latest arrivals see him fumbling in the kitchen. "Genesis."

"Hmnh?"

"It's got a metal probe with a sharp end to push into the meat, and knowing Angeal, it will have a dial display for the temperature." At the SOLDIER's flustered glance, he added. "It should, also, _say _'meat thermometer' on it somewhere."

Genesis nodded, and went back to looking at the cooking utensils, trying to find it. Meanwhile, the Director moved over to peek in the oven and stifled a laugh. "Genesis."

"_Hmm?" _His ability to show clearly what he felt in just a syllable was rather impressive.

"It's in the ham." He opened the oven, pointing to the device sticking out of the glazed meat. "Angeal must have forgotten."

"I suppose so." Genesis huffed, nabbing a pair of oven mitts and pulling the massive main dish out upon reading the temperature. "All right. We'll let this cool a little."

"Genesis?" Sephiroth looked into the kitchen, and was relieved to find he had missed the entire ham-debacle. "Professor Rayleigh wants to see Zack. I thought it might be best -"

"If I pry him from Angeal?" The rogue First snorted, amused. "She'll likely have to just see them both together."

"Acceptable, for now." The professor, one Miss Amber Rayleigh, entered the room, looking at Genesis with a small frown. "I'll be seeing you as well, Mr. Rhapsodos."

"By all means. Though, if I may suggest we eat first?" He glanced at Sephiroth, who nodded slightly. "Excellent. I'll go get Fair's little friend and we'll make plates for the sleeping pup and his master."

"I'll do it." Sephiroth murmured, moving into the room, familiar with this part of the meal, at least. Quickly making up a small plate for Zack, reasoning his appetite would be diminished due to his illness, but if it wasn't he could always get more, and gestured for the others to help themselves.

Angeal had drifted back into the realm of wakefulness and was talking quietly with Kunsel when Sephiroth and Genesis came in. "It turned out well, then?"

"We don't know - that's why the puppy eats first." Genesis declared, a wide grin saying he was teasing his friend.

"Hmph. 'Puppy' eats anything." Kunsel snorted. "And vast amounts of 'anything' - the only cadet _I_ knew to ever go back for more in the mess."

There was a collective grimace, and Angeal gave Zack a light shake. "Zack? They brought food."

"Food?" The teen parroted sleepily, fighting to keep his eyes open, until they landed on the plate and widened happily. "Food!"

"Can you sit up to eat?" Angeal coaxed, sitting up carefully himself, with a small wince that didn't go unnoticed.

"Geal?" Zack turned wide blue eyes on his mentor, concerned. "Does it still hurt?"

"Right now, everything hurts, Zack." Angeal sighed, settling himself against the headboard gently. "But, I'm alive. That's really more than I could ask for, isn't it?"

"You better stay that way, too." The younger First asserted.

"That's the idea." He reassured him, smiling faintly and petting the slightly fever-dampened spikes. "Now, let's work on getting your strength back, all right?"

Zack made some noise of agreement, eating slowly but steadily while Angeal began to make a little progress on his own meal, looking up and arching a brow after a moment. "Seph. Gen. Go eat."

"You too, Kuns." Zack pointed with his fork, only to lower it when Angeal frowned at him. "I thought it was _knives _you couldn't point with?"

"No kitchenware, Zack." Angeal flicked his gaze at his two closest friends once more, frowning a little deeper. "_Go._"

"All right, all right." Genesis chuckled, heading for the door. "By the by..." he smirked at the flick of impatience in slate blue eyes. "... the lady professor is here to tend us, once we've all had our fill."

"Amber made it?" Kunsel perked up, slipping out the door, and Zack snickered knowingly, waggling his brows at Angeal's confusion.

"You mean..." Angeal blinked, staring at the doorway blankly. "But, she has to be at least ten years older than he is!"

"So?" The teen shrugged. "SOLDIERs are considered 'legal adults' by ShinRa law, no matter their chronological age. And love knows no bounds."

"A very mature and, if I may say, romantic view, Fair." Genesis remarked, impressed, and laughed aloud when Angeal narrowed his eyes at him. "Yes, yes. I'm _going._ You'd think he didn't _want _us here, Sephiroth!"

"Perhaps he wishes to discuss the matter with Zack without our presence?" While the question was delivered with innocent monotone, it made Genesis laugh even more and pull the General out into the hall, scolding him playfully for picking on Angeal. Said SOLDIER merely groaned and rubbed a hand over his face, trying desperately not to grin as his student tugged on his sleeve, whining for his attention.

It was good to be home.


	6. Revelations

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. Not mine. Not even a _little._ D:**

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><p>Though much tension had left Angeal when Rayleigh declared all Zack needed was rest, he found himself tensing up all over again when she turned her gaze on Genesis and himself. "You are, obviously, degrading. What we need to know is how fast and if we can reverse or how to at least <em>stop<em> it."

"Obviously." Genesis drawled, playing it remarkably cool. "Where have you seen degradation before?"

"In various creatures injected unsuccessfully with J cells... Hollander had a few." She waved a hand dismissively, sighing with a frown. "Of course, while I brought some very basic equipment with me, what we really need is to get you two to a facility where I have full access to the range of equipment I need."

"You mean a lab." Sephiroth narrowed his eyes in a way that did not bode well for her plans. "Professor -"

"_General,_ your friends are in danger of dying if they are not treated in a timely manner. Do you want to risk it over your personal issues?" She snapped, not at all intimidated. "I'm not talking about taking them to Hojo."

"On the subject of Hojo... he has an abandoned lab in ShinRa Manor, in Nibelheim." Veld observed neutrally. "That may be a good location. Far from Midgar, discreet..."

"Outdated." Rayleigh huffed.

"Beggars can't be choosers." The Turk Director pointed out. "It should suffice for what you need."

"That may work out well... I've had a mission to Nibelheim sitting on my desk for a while now." Sephiroth conceded reluctantly. "I suppose Director Lazard could arrange for that to be set up?"

"That shouldn't be an issue." Lazard assured him. "Though, I would be wary while carrying out the mission itself."

"Oh?" A silver brow arched in question. "Is the Nibel region so dangerous?"

"I doubt it will be for four Firsts, but then again... Hojo is the one who wants you there." The Director of SOLDIER was proud of himself for not flinching under the weight of the four sets of glowing eyes that landed on him at the loathed scientist's name. "I'm not sure what he wants. But, as I'm sure you're aware, he's been trying to get you over there for a while, and was quite irritated that you hadn't gone yet."

"Me." Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "It's not about anyone getting it done, as he wants _me _to do it?"

"That sounds ominous." Angeal frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I would have to check, to see how many... but there have been a handful of missions originating with Hojo requiring the presence of a SOLDIER First in Nibelheim. However, each time Sephiroth has sent someone there... the problem mysteriously clears up." Lazard shrugged, pale blue eyes sliding to the General. "One might think it was staged."

"One might." Sephiroth agreed softly, frowning. "Nevertheless, if that is where Professor Rayleigh needs us to go... then that is where we'll go. Professor, how long do you think this will take?"

"I have no idea, General. I've never been tasked with _saving _someone from degradation." She shrugged, frowning slightly. "If it can be done, we'll see it done, but don't expect an in-and-out deal. This will take time and patience."

"Right then. Packing for extended stay." Genesis sighed, turning on his heel and waving at the others. "I'll be back."

"I suppose I should as well." Angeal sighed, frowning when Zack got up and started down the hall. "Zack? I don't need help. You can rest."

"I need to pack too, 'Geal." The younger First pointed out. "You didn't think I was letting you go through this without me, did you?"

"Zack, the _last_ thing you need is to go to the Nibel region right now." Angeal protested. "It's going to be cold and rainy over there, there's no guarantee that the manor still has heat, or working facilities, and I'm not going to see you in that position if I can help it."

"Bu-!" Zack squawked his protest, just as the General spoke up.

"Luckily, that's not your decision." Sephiroth pointed out. "Not only do you no longer outrank him, but you seem to forget, _I_ am the General. If I say a SOLDIER is on the mission, they will be on the mission."

"But you can also refuse them!" Angeal argued, a last ditch attempt. "Sephiroth, please. He's in no condition -"

"- to fend for himself if Hojo gases the apartment while we're gone and breaks in, deciding to use him as a hostage against us?" Sephiroth asked softly, calmly watching the elder man's resolve crumble. "You would leave him here, defenseless? In this condition?"

Angeal sighed, looking at Zack, who was standing straight, doing his best to look well despite the fever flush to his cheeks and the extra shine in his eyes. "...No, I would not."

"I'll be all right, Angeal. Better than if you made me wait here, and worry about you." Zack insisted, looking earnestly at his mentor.

Another sigh, and the bigger man nodded, no longer attempting to fight the pair on the issue. "Dress warmly."

"Yes, mom."

"_Zack."_

Sephiroth smirked faintly, watching the two head down the hall to pack. "Now... Professor... is there anything _you_ will need before we leave?"

"A couple changes of more practical clothes would be wise." She noted.

Kunsel nodded and offered her an arm. "I'll escort her to her in-Tower quarters and help her pack, if you like, Sir, and escort her to the helipad at your call."

"I will call you when it's time, then." Sephiroth inclined his head slightly, watching them leave. Left with the two Directors, he made quick plans. "Gentlemen, I have no plans to leave the Company. _However,_ should the President attempt to make me choose between those that are mine, and being his..."

"I was never under the illusion you belonged to anyone, General." Veld remarked evenly, earning a small smile from the silver-haired legend.

"Appreciated." He murmured. "Now, onto further matters. Director Lazard has maintained that he would be an ally in this, provided there is a mutual support, which I am willing to give. You are aware of his actions against the Company, yes?"

"There may be a small paper trail." He agreed without glancing at the younger Director. "And Hollander gave him over very quickly."

"He _would._" Lazard sighed, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "How much does the President know?"

"Nothing, yet." Veld chuckled at his incredulous look. "Did you think we told him _everything?_"

The blond blinked, smiling a bit wryly. "Honestly? I really wasn't sure _what _to think. The SOLDIERs are one thing... your group are quite another."

"I'd think so." The Turk Director smirked, though he sobered, looking at Sephiroth. "But... we take care of our own."

"Oh?" The General arched a brow, curious at the strange look in the Turk's dark eyes. "I was not aware that I was one of yours."

"It's your inheritance." He sighed softly, figuring now was as good a time as any. "What'd that bastard scientist tell you about your parents?"

"My mother's name is Jenova. She died in childbirth. My father..." His face twisted in a grimace of distaste. "... is Hojo."

"I see." Veld's eyes flashed, and he huffed softly. "I haven't seen a paternity test, or checked your blood to know. However... I'll tell you that the woman who carried you in her womb, who gave birth to you in Shinra Manor, was Doctor Lucrecia Crescent."

"My mother... is Lucrecia." The name was unfamiliar, but he thought he could learn to like it. "What happened to her? And what of my... father?"

"It's a twisted tale, and I only heard one side." The Turk warned, continuing at the General's frown of impatience. "My partner, back in the day, was Vincent Valentine - possibly one of the greatest Turks there ever was. He was assigned to the Jenova Project, as a bodyguard for Doctor Crescent, and made a very intimate means of guarding her body."

"He was my mother's lover?" Catslit green eyes widened. "Then..."

"They were together for a while. Until Vincent discovered that she had worked with his father, Grimoire, and had been present at his death. They drifted apart after that, though I got the impression it was her choice, he didn't press her like he should have, and she turned to her colleague for support." The normally stoic Turk made a face at the thought. "She married Hojo, not long after leaving Vincent, and not long after that, it became clear that you would be joining the world."

"Then... Hojo _is..._" He couldn't bear to finish the sentence.

"Perhaps. But, the time was awfully close... and to look at you..." Veld shook his head. "You look a great deal like him, though more like your mother."

"Whatever became of Turk Valentine?" Lazard asked softly.

"He went missing, much like Angeal and Genesis did." The Director sighed. "Only, he never came back. I always suspected Hojo was involved, though I didn't have the power at the time to confront him."

Sephiroth was silent for a long moment, digesting this. "What happened to my mother?"

"She deserted, not long after it became clear she would not be allowed to have anything to do with you." Veld noted. "She was never found, though, to be honest, we didn't precisely scour the Planet."

"She could be alive, then." The words were a scarce whisper, but Sephiroth's slightly breathless tone spoke for him. He had greater worries now, taking care of his immediate concerns with his friends, but... someday, when everything was settled... he would find out what happened to Lucrecia Crescent. His mother.

"Sephiroth?" Angeal returned with Zack, both carrying their duffles, and redressed in clean uniforms, swords on their backs. "We're packed."

"Excellent." The General returned his attention to the matters at hand, turning to Veld. "If you could spare Reno and Tseng, as they are all ready aware of Genesis and Angeal's presence...?"

"That was my thought as well, albeit for reasons that are my own." The Turk nodded. "They'll be briefed, and sent out to ready the chopper."

"Heeeeey. We should bring Cloud!" Zack grinned. "He's just infantry, but he's _from _Nibelheim. Saves us the trouble of getting a local guide."

"Goddess, _yes_, save us from small town, backwater locals." Genesis added snidely, gliding in with his own duffle bag. He brightened a little at the thought of the mentioned infantryman. "The little trooper seemed nice enough, and he was _adorable _when he frowned. You could take lessons, Angeal."

It was a struggle not to frown at Genesis and prove him right, and it must have at least reached his eyes because there was a collection of smirks and snickers. Sephiroth, with a small smile lingering on his lips, gave Zack a nod. "Very well. I'm assuming, as Genesis knows him, that 'Cloud' was the remaining trooper on the Modeoheim mission and is somewhat aware of the circumstances. He will be an acceptable guide."

"I'll place him on the mission, then." Lazard agreed. "General Sephiroth of SOLDIER will be heading the mission, accompanied by SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair, Tseng and Reno of the Department of Administrative Research, Cloud Strife of the Army, and Professor Amber Rayleigh of the Science and Research Division. Is this acceptable?"

"I assume Genesis and I aren't mentioned because of our status." Angeal guessed, getting a nod in confirmation. "Just as well. We don't need to flag anyone who sees the Mission Log."

"While you're gone, Director Lazard and I will work together on forming some sort of plan to reintegrate the two of you into the company again." Veld said, looking between the two Banorans. "Provided that is what you want."

"For now, that would be best, I think." Angeal agreed.

"Much as I loathe the goings on here... it is home." Genesis sighed, flicking at his whitening hair absently. "We shall simply have to improve upon it, as time goes on."

"I wish you the best of luck with that, Commander." Lazard offered. "ShinRa is not in a habit of changing for the better."

"Yeah, well, start believing in miracles, Director." Zack winked, grinning when Angeal ruffled his hair affectionately.

"You tend to make a believer out of people, Zack." His mentor smiled softly.

Sephiroth watched the two a moment, before making a small sound to regain attention. "I will go pack my things, and we will leave for Nibelheim. Be sure you have everything for an extended stay."

"Sounds good. I'll call Spike, have him meet us at the helipad." Zack fished out his PHS, walking off a few paces to contact his younger friend.

"I suppose I'll return to my office and actually _issue_the mission to the rest of the team." Lazard smiled, amused, but it faded, looking at the two recently returned SOLDIERs. "Be safe."

"We will." Angeal nodded, smiling faintly.

"Yes, with Sephiroth in such a mood, I dare even the local dragons to _breathe _in our direction for fear of Masamune." Genesis observed wryly, having noted the younger man's surprising protective streak. It was strange... but... _nice_. "Be careful as well, Deusericus. ShinRa is not a safe place for anyone right now."

"Was it ever?" He wondered idly, before turning to take his leave with a wave and a smile. Veld left shortly after, leaving the three Firsts to wait for Sephiroth.

"Angeal?" Zack stepped up beside his mentor, face unusually serious. "Do you think we'll be able to reform ShinRa?"

"You raised the dead, puppy." Genesis noted seriously. "And redeemed a mon-"

"You were never a monster, Genesis." Zack interrupted, frowning. "Just misguided. Hollander was the monster, for what he did to you and Angeal. But he didn't make _you _a monster."

The former Commander fell silent, looking into bright, earnest eyes. "You really believe that, don't you?"

"I _know _that." He asserted, calm and so very sure in his faith. In them. "You're not monsters. Just men who've been played a bad hand in life. But, how you deal with that is up to you. I don't believe you're beyond redemption."

"Hm." Genesis hummed noncommittally, a sudden thought occurring to him as he turned to Angeal. "Speaking of monsters... what sort of monster did Hollander unleash in Modeoheim, that was able to do such damage to you _and_ Zack?"

Both of the other Firsts froze, Zack swallowing hard against a lump in his throat as he flashed back. _Four clawed feet, three lashing blue tails... Angeal's body, merged to a conglomeration of his creatures... a blast of blue energy, a stabbing trident, a sudden lunge into a sword outstretched. _"-ck?"

_Blood. Dying. Last words and death. _"Zack?"

_He was gone. _

_It was his fault. _

_He had killed him. _

_Killed Angeal. _

_He had killed Ang- _

"ZACK!" Angeal's voice finally registered, frantic, and Zack snapped back to reality. The second his eyes refocused, the elder First pulled him to his chest, hugging him fiercely. "_Goddess, _Zack. Don't scare me like that."

"'m sorry." He croaked, sniffling, nuzzling his face against his mentor's shoulder and trying not to cry in relief at the realization that yes, _this_ was real. Angeal was alive. Maybe not _well,_ but they had time now. Time to fix that. "I'm so sorry."

"It was my fault." He dismissed the apology softly, rubbing the trembling youth's back. "I gave you no choice."

"Angeal?" Sephiroth froze in the entryway for a moment, dropping his bag before striding over. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"'m ok!" Zack attempted to push away from Angeal, wanting to present a strong front at least to the others.

"He appears to have had a traumatic flashback." Genesis murmured, stunned by the emotional reaction of the young First.

"To what? What triggered it?" The General half-turned, looking to the oldest of them for answers as it was clear Angeal's focus was on soothing Zack, and Zack was still too shaken up to risk setting off again.

"I asked about what happened in Modeoheim, after he and I fought." Genesis replied, still speaking quietly, lest Zack overhear and get further upset. "He and Angeal went through a horrific battle, Sephiroth. Something... something _killed_ Angeal."

Though Sephiroth had been getting better at showing his emotions around his friends in the privacy of his quarters, never had Genesis seen him so openly struck by anything but rage; the sheer depth of grief in his eyes, the staggering _pain _he felt, was unlike anything he'd seen in him before. Gently, he placed a hand on the General's arm, and was startled to feel him tremble. "Seph, it's all right. Zack revived him."

Zack shuddered, overhearing Genesis, a sob catching in his throat. He couldn't even feel proud of having saved his mentor. Not after he...

"Zack, _enough. _You can't keep blaming yourself." Angeal murmured, stroking his spikes. "You did what you had to do."

"But it was _my fault, _Angeal." Zack hissed, wiping at the tears on his cheeks even as more streamed down. "I _killed-_"

"Zack." Angeal hushed him, but it was too late. Something had clicked in Genesis' mind, and he stared, horrified, at the pair. "Gen, please, wait. Hear me out. It's not what you think!"

_'I _killed.' '_My _fault.' 'You can't keep _blaming _yourself.'The words echoed in his reeling mind, and he paled, almost staggering under the weight of the realization. "Oh sweet Goddess... why? Why would you do it?"

Zack's breath caught, and he stared up at Genesis and Sephiroth, knowing that they _knew_, that they finally understood what he had done, and tried to speak. But his voice was swallowed by grief and panic, and fear of what they would _do_. Angeal, after all, was their friend first. "I -"

"He didn't have a _choice."_ Angeal snapped, pulling the frozen youth to him protectively. "I attacked him."

"You _what?"_ Sephiroth stared at him as if he'd gone mad, but Genesis was looking at him with an expression of horrified understanding. "What the hell were you _thinking,_ Angeal? Attacking _Zack, _who's been nothing but faithful to you, even after you _abandoned him?_"

"You gave up." Genesis' whisper silenced the silver General's ranting, and he turned, looking at him, silently demanding an explanation. "You... wanted to die."

Angeal sighed, closing his eyes. "Yes."

"Oh _Goddess."_The auburn-haired man choked. When had Angeal become so depressed that he not only lost his will to live, but sought death, and how was it that he'd not realized it? "Angeal -"

A sudden ringing cut through the thickness of the room, and Sephiroth was glad for the distraction of answering his phone, nevermind that he didn't really want to talk to anybody. "Sephiroth speaking."

_"General. Reno and I have acquired a helicopter, and are waiting on the helipad for you and your men." _Tseng's soft voice informed him.

"Very well. We will be there momentarily." He would not discuss this with the Turk, regardless of how highly Veld held him in his esteem. Ending the call, he stated to the room in general, "We need to get moving."

"Nibelheim. Right." Zack wiped his eyes, sighing, and finally got Angeal to release him. "Let me splash a little water on my face and I'll be ready."

"Very well." Watching the teen go, Sephiroth couldn't help but admire his ability to shrug off very clear trauma, to deal with the mission at hand. Turning to Angeal, he murmured. "We _will_ discuss this later."

Angeal bowed his head in acknowledgement, having known that of course his friends wouldn't let this go so easily. He supposed he should simply be grateful, they didn't _seem _to hold it against Zack. If he had turned them against his student, he wouldn't have forgiven himself.

Just beginning to understand the depth of damage he'd done to the pure hearted youth by forcing his hand, he wasn't sure he could anyway.


	7. ShinRa Manor

**DISCLAIMER: Nope, not mine. If it was, Seph's attire would be simpler!**

* * *

><p>With the time difference, they arrived in the late afternoon, landing on the outskirts of the village to avoid a scene. They had determined ahead of time that the mission - clearing out some monster nests, primarily the local dragons - would wait until they had settled into the manor and found out if things would work out to suit the Professor's needs. So it was that Cloud led the group around the edges of the village to the looming, dark majesty of ShinRa Manor. "Welcome to Nibelheim's spook house."<p>

"'Spook house'?" Sephiroth arched a brow, curious.

"Ooh, is it haunted?" Zack grinned, good humor either restored from the change of pace, or his friend's presence.

"Some people think so." Cloud shrugged. "But then, isn't that what people _generally_ think of abandoned old mansions?"

"If there _is _such a phenomena as a 'ghost' I would not be surprised to find one in Hojo's old laboratory." Rayleigh muttered as Tseng let them through the gate, locking it behind them. "However, I don't believe such a thing exists."

"We'll soon find out." The Turk noted, heading up the pathway to the manor.

"It-_ikkshuu!_" Zack sniffled, rubbing his nose with a grimace as he looked around the main room, starting to sound a little congested. "It's dusty!"

"It's been abandoned for decades. I would expect nothing less." Rayleigh swiped a finger over the staircase, grimacing at the dust. "In any case... we need to go upstairs to get to the lab."

"The lab is in the basement, yo." Reno piped up.

"And unless you want to go through the sewers, you have to access it from the second floor passage." Rayleigh explained patiently. "You're free to do so, Turk, but I intend to stay dry."

"Second floor!" Genesis and Zack called out, the 'puppy' bounding up the first few stairs before realizing he didn't know _where _he was going. "Eh... ladies first?"

A wry smile said she wasn't at all fooled by his 'gallant' behavior, but she nodded and started up the stairs, the men following at a slow pace to keep even with her.

There was a general, companionable silence amongst the group as they made their way upstairs, taking a right and heading to the bedroom which also held the passage to the basement. Carefully making their way down, they paused to adjust to the automatic lighting. "I am surprised it still works..."

"Yeah... kinda weird." Zack agreed, looking about curiously as they continued down further.

At the bottom, it was basically a cavern, which surprised some of them; Hojo had such pristine labs in Midgar, it was hard to believe he'd started his most prized project here in the bowels of Nibelheim. "The lab is here?"

"Further down. There's a storage room, library and laboratory." Rayleigh gestured to the left, and Genesis and Angeal exchanged looks.

"Storage for _what_, precisely?" Sephiroth asked blandly, narrowed green eyes saying he had caught their idea, and wasn't thrilled with the idea of what experiments might be lurking.

"I wouldn't know, I've not been here before." She shrugged, sighing when the General diverted to the storage room, Masamune in hand, and pushed the door open. "Is this necessary?"

"Yes." He needed to know everything was safe before he could allow them to settle in. That meant exploring every room.

Opening the door, he stared at the confines of the room with distaste. Behind him, he heard Genesis ask impatiently. "Well? What's in there?"

"Coffins." He muttered, loud enough for the other SOLDIERs to hear, half turning when he heard Angeal protest and almost smiling to find Zack peeking past him. "Yes?"

"Is that where Professor Creepy hides the bodies?" Fair asked, and for the life of him, Sephiroth couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.

"Zack, I doubt Professor Hojo has been hiding _bodies _in coffins under ShinRa Manor." Angeal shook his head, sighing at the younger First's imagination.

"Oh yeah? Well then why are they _locked_ if he's not hiding something in them?" Zack demanded of his mentor, and Sephiroth did a double take, green eyes narrowing as he strode into the room, gloved hand palming the lock on the center coffin. Attempting to give it a simple twist to break, he was stunned to realize that it was made of some metal that wouldn't give under his normal pressure - which was enough to break most locks. Squeezing it harder, then progressively harder after that, he frowned as it refused to crumble.

"Unbelievable. The mighty Sephiroth... bested by a lock?" Genesis snickered from where he leaned in the doorway, watching him.

"It is... stubborn." The General frowned, refusing to give in to the faint tingle on his cheeks that hinted at a blush, and _pulled on_ the lock.

Nothing.

Narrowing his eyes in irritation, he stepped back and observed the lock, then the room. Then, with a flick of his wrist, proceeded to slice the lock open with the tip of his blade. Behind him, he heard Genesis snort, and couldn't resist a faint smirk. "Now, Zack, we shall investigate why there is such a difficult lock on the..."

He trailed off, having pushed the thick lid off, surprisingly weighty, but no issue. The issue was the perfectly preserved male lying inside, still and pale as death, swathed in red, with raven black hair. "Ho-ly -"

"Dear Goddess_,_ he _was_ hiding bodies." Genesis muttered.

"I wonder who he was..." Angeal voiced, glancing at Tseng and the wide-eyed Reno. "Any idea? Or is this classified?"

"I -"

"Shiiiiit, he's _alive, _yo!" Reno hissed, cutting Tseng off with a gesture as crimson eyes snapped open in the confines of the coffin.

"Who has disturbed my slumber?" The man's voice was deep and raspy from disuse, red eyes looking up at the person closest - Sephiroth - and blinking, as if startled. "Who are you?"

"Who hasn't heard of the mighty General Sephiroth?" Genesis wanted to know, intrigued.

"_Sephiroth?_" The man sat up stiffly, causing the General to back up a bit to give him space, narrowing his eyes as he looked him over. "How... how old are you?"

"Twenty-three." Green eyes narrowed similarly. "You know of me."

"Yes." The raven head lowered slightly, a mix of emotions flashing through his eyes.

"Tell me your name." To say Sephiroth was asking stretched the term a bit, but the formerly imprisoned man seemed not to mind it. In fact, much to the silver General's dismay, he was being _ignored - _though not maliciously. It seemed he was lost in thought.

"Twenty-three years..." The vibrant eyes closed, husky voice a mere whisper. "Has it been so long...?"

"You have been his captive since I was born?" Sephiroth questioned, holding up a hand when someone - likely Rayleigh - scoffed at the idea.

"Yes." He sighed the word, looking at the General suddenly, wine colored eyes alight. "Your mother... what of Lucrecia?"

"I have never met her." He confessed, and felt an unnamed emotion well in his chest as the light died in the other man's eyes. He'd looked so... hopeful... at the thought of news of his mother... "You knew her."

"I thought I had." He drew one knee to his chest and rested his arm on it, something gold catching the light. Luckily, the man didn't notice the brief looks at it, a clawed metal gauntlet of sorts covering his left forearm. "You look so much like her."

Sephiroth felt his chest tighten at the words, startled to hear, for a second time that day, that he _looked like someone._ No one, including Hojo, had claimed he looked like Jenova... but... apparently, he looked enough like Lucrecia that even this stranger could see her in him. For a moment, it was on the tip of his tongue to ask about her, but he couldn't bring himself to do so in front of the others.

But, that simply made up his mind. "You will come with us."

Red eyes widened in shock at the commanding tone, but he would not be so easily ordered. "Why?"

"I wish to talk to you further, but as we will be making use of the laboratory down the hall, it will be easier to have you come with us." Not entirely truthful, but it wasn't a lie.

A fine black brow arched incredulously. "You think to persuade me to willingly re-enter that madman's lair?"

"ShinRa Manor, including these areas below, has been abandoned for decades." Sephiroth informed him. "Hojo moved his operations to Midgar."

"I see." There was a slight tensing, barely discernible to the SOLDIER General, and then the man was airborn, flipping backwards in the air and landing, soundlessly, at the head of the coffin. "I suppose, it is better to be free and wandering, then locked up here, where there is always the chance he will return for me."

There was a long moment of silence, before Zack gave a crow of delight. "That was _awesome!"_

"If a little dramatic." Genesis muttered, flustering at the raised brows given to him by the other three Firsts. "What?"

"You, Genesis, have no right to call _anyone_ dramatic." Angeal retorted, crossing his arms.

Crimson eyes blinked at Genesis and Angeal, apparently deducing that something was amiss - not that it wasn't obvious, from their paleness, whitening hair, and Genesis' dry, cracking skin. Then, he looked at Zack, realizing he, too, was not in the best of conditions, obviously ill.

A dark brow rose. "General. May I ask why you were sent on a mission with ill subordinates?"

"All will be explained in time." Sephiroth assured him, idly flicking his sword at the other nearby lock and checking that the casket was empty, before moving back to the first and checking it. Also empty. "We may move on now."

"To the lab?" Rayleigh asked, all ready turning to go.

"Yes. I will take point. Genesis, if you would take up rear guard...?" At the nod from the auburn haired man, he gestured to their newest companion. "You are with me. Come."

With unexpected docility, or perhaps out of sheer curiosity, the man followed the General further into the basement facility, through the double door passage at the end of the cavern. Any expression he may have had, though, disappeared into stony silence as they entered the small, but still intact lab, his eyes following Rayleigh as she walked around, checking the equipment with a thoughtful look.

"Will it do?" Sephiroth asked softly.

"It should." She gestured to the table, glancing at Genesis. "I assume you can sit still for the procedure?"

"What, exactly, _is_ the 'procedure'?" He asked warily, sitting down and crossing his arms, somewhat comforted at having Angeal, Sephiroth, and even the Puppy, at his back.

"I'm going to draw blood first, and _you're _going to tell me when you started degrading." She instructed, gesturing for Cloud to bring her supplies over; somehow, the young infantry had gotten tasked with carrying them, likely because, if a monster attacked, it was better that the SOLDIERs were able to defend the others.

Genesis frowned, absently rubbing his shoulder. "There was an... incident in August."

"Incident?" She prodded, raising a brow. "Take off your coat, please. I need to access your arm."

"Yes, _incident._" He removed his crimson duster, sighing at the memory. "Sephiroth, Angeal and I have a habit of sparring together, at times, in one of the VR rooms. Normally, it's fine fun. This time, I suppose things got a little out of hand..."

"A _little?_" Angeal scoffed, and Genesis arched a brow, retorting venomously.

"At least nobody was _killed."_

"That was low, Genesis." The burly First growled, putting an arm around Zack's shoulders when the teen took a step back, eyes wide.

"My apologies." The crimson Commander murmured, frowning. While he _had_ meant to needle Angeal about it, he hadn't meant to traumatize Zack further. "Zack... I don't blame you for defending yourself against Angeal, even that far. He can be stubborn when he wants something."

"You… _don't?_" Zack found himself gaping a little. Genesis, supposedly Angeal's best friend, _didn't blame him?_

"Nor do I." Sephiroth was, actually, glad this had come up - it wouldn't have occurred to him that Fair blamed himself for something Angeal forced on him. In fact, it was something he _himself_ had forced upon the youth by sending him to Modeoheim instead of pushing to go himself. _He_ should have dealt with Angeal and Genesis - something he'd known all along - but, he couldn't help but wonder if he had actually _saved _them by sending Zack. "Whatever you did, is invalid. You brought him - _them_ - back in the end."

"_Ow._" Angeal's startled tone interrupted Zack's shock and anything else Sephiroth might've said, one of his hands clasped over the inside of his other arm as Rayleigh drew back with a syringe and a vial of his blood. "I thought you were doing Genesis first?"

"I realized it would be best to compare you. And perhaps the General and SOLDIER Fair." She explained, sticking a label onto the vial and setting it aside before moving to Zack, who offered his arm willingly, blinking in confusion at her. "I wish to compare the three of them, to determine _why _the individuals involved in Project G degraded but not Project S, and you, Zack, will be the baseline we compare the other Firsts to."

"It may be simply the difference that Hollander used dead Jenova Cells, while living ones were used on Sephiroth." The temporarily forgotten addition to their group spoke up softly from his position flanking the door. Once all eyes were on him, though, he seemed to lose any inclination to say more.

"I did not realize you were knowledgeable of the Jenova Projects themselves, Valentine." Tseng noted mildly.

"Valentine?" Reno's eyes widened, along with his jaw. "You mean -"

"Vincent Valentine." Sephiroth stared, unable to help himself. This man... could he really be the one Veld had spoken of, his former partner, and lover to Lucrecia Crescent? His potential father?

"You've heard of me." It was a question and a comment all in one, and the General couldn't help but note it mirrored his own speech patterns.

"Veld told me of you, yes." He nodded, a faint smile touching the corners of his lips at the way his red eyed gaze sharpened, yet he said nothing. "He is the Director of the Turks."

"I see." He squared his shoulders, and remarked softly, if pointedly. "You have me at a disadvantage, knowing my name."

"You know who I am." Sephiroth retorted, a faint smirk playing about his lips, for some reason, enjoying hedging on the topic of providing his companion's names. Perhaps because Vincent had not willingly given his own.

Wine red eyes narrowed slightly, and though his mouth was hidden by the collar of his mantle, one could imagine he was scowling due to the draw of his finely arched brows. Debating whether to give in or simply stare him down, Sephiroth half turned at Genesis' gasp. "_By the Goddess, _did you _see_ that glare?"

"_Genesis."_ Angeal and Sephiroth echoed each other, annoyed and exasperated with the dramatic First.

"Seriously, it was like Sephiroth version two." Zack agreed, dumbfounded. "Do it again! Angeal, watch."

"Zack!" Sephiroth growled, turning to loom over the younger swordsman. "SOLDIER First Class Fair, I do _not _need you encouraging Genesis' behavior."

"_Ho-ly..._" Reno whistled, amazed. "Looks just like 'im!"

"I do not suggest continuing to try to achieve such a glare, Reno." Tseng advised softly. "You seem to have forgotten, we are either dealing with a Former Turk, who has likely been... _enhanced..._ or a SOLDIER General, who has _unquestionably_been enhanced."

"Ain' no such thing as a '_former'_Turk, yo."

"Do you imply you wish to... reintegrate me?" Vincent asked, voice deathly soft. "Or perhaps you wish to dispose of me."

"There will be none of that." Sephiroth interrupted curtly, narrowing his eyes at Tseng, then, once the Wutain nodded, turning a stern look to Vincent. "You will stay with us, and no report will be issued unless by my hand."

Vincent stared at him, curiosity eating away at his ire. "You play a dangerous game. You do not know me, what has been done to me, and you consider hiding my release from the President."

"Not _consider._" The General smiled coolly, then shrugged, turning his attention back to Rayleigh. "My friends are dying. The _President_ would do nothing but finish the job. Really, why should I care about reporting to him?"

"_Seriously,_ y-" Reno clamped his mouth shut, deciding it was best not to add his agreement, if the General was going to _glare _at him that way.

"Sephiroth..." Angeal rested a hand on his friend's shoulder, attempting to calm him.

"If you are so concerned about your friends, I suggest removing your coat and letting me get my final blood sample so we can get working." Rayleigh interrupted, coming over with a prepped syringe and vial.

Wide green eyes blinked down at her, and he sighed, reaching to unbuckle the single buckle at his waist that held his leather coat together, loosening a buckle hidden under the collar of his duster to detach his pauldron from his harness before slipping his right arm out of the sleeve and offering it to the lady professor. "Here. Take what you need."

Rayleigh finished taking his blood, labelled the vial, and returned to the workstation she and Cloud had set up. The others watched, with varying degrees of interest, as she used various means to examine the blood, making notes onto a notepad beside her. She made a small sound of surprise, looking between Genesis and Angeal. "I will need a full account of the circumstances causing your degradation."

"Is it not enough to know we _are?_" Genesis demanded. "What do you need to know _that_ for?"

"Something is different." She shook her head, lips pursed. "You both are degraded. _You _are _degrading._ However, Angeal _stopped._"

"Wait, what?" Zack approached the researcher, blue eyes warily hopeful. "Angeal's _not _degrading anymore?"

"No, and if we can figure out the difference in the causes of Angeal's degradation and Genesis' -"

"Then we can stop _Genesis _from degrading!" The teen grinned, overjoyed, and turned to share his glee with his mentor - who was frowning uneasily. "Angeal?"

"Zack..." He frowned, wondering how to word this... delicately. "There's _one _very clear difference between the... incidents... that led to my and Genesis' current states."

Watching the four SOLDIERs grow somber, Rayleigh tapped her foot impatiently. "Well? What was it?"

"I died."


	8. Penance

**DISCLAIMER: _Still_ don't own it. T_T**

**Sorry about the 'later' post... wasn't feeling too good last night and went to bed early. For those of you who've managed to forget the turning point in the story (Angeal's death and revival) Zack does a nice recap of the events in the first chapter. Hope you all enjoy, and thank you so much for your reviews so far! I feel loved. :D**

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><p>"There is no reason why the use of restorative spells and items should cease degradation." Rayleigh dismissed. "They temporarily freeze telomeres while jump-starting cellular division to induce healing. Which does, I admit, halt the degradation for the time that they are frozen. But, once they resume, so does the degradation."<p>

"Then why am I not still degrading?" Angeal wondered.

"I'm not entirely sure you _were._" She mused. "Tell me, in detail, what happened."

"It's not all clear to me..." He frowned, hedging, and Zack frowned.

"I remember." _How could I forget?_ He ignored Angeal's quick look, crossing his arms behind his back as if he were giving a report to Sephiroth. "The mission was to Modeoheim. I had just defeated SOLDIER First Class Genesis at the excavation facility, and saw him fall to his - assumed - death. Thereafter, I went to Modeoheim proper, and explored the abandoned town, ending up in the bathhouse. After an encounter with what has been dubbed by the company as an 'Angeal Copy' I located Trooper Cloud Strife and Tseng of the Turks, and was directed to capture Doctor Hollander and confront SOLDIER First Class Angeal.

"Hollander was not immediately apparent, but I located SOLDIER Hewley after arriving at the top of the bathhouse. We exchanged words, and he made his intentions to be 'my next fight' clear. At this point, Hollander arrived, and started a clear attempt to provoke the already questionable stability of SOLDIER Hewley. SOLDIER Hewley was clearly antagonized by the doctor's words, and after shoving him to the ground, made a repetition of SOLDIER Rhapsodos' claim to being a monster." Zack's eyes were as distant as his voice, unseeing of the way Genesis had subtly clenched his jaw and fist, or how Sephiroth's eyes were locked on Angeal's pained visage. "At this point, he summoned one of each of his four types of copies - an ahriman, sahagin, hound and griffon, all bearing his unique alterations and marking. They attacked, and I drew my blade, only to realize too late that I was not the intended target. They converged on SOLDIER Hewley, and I have since come to the conclusion that, as the stated 'two-way conduit' - capable of both absorbing traits and copying them onto others - he must have absorbed the creatures to become... what he did."

"He transformed?"

Zack nodded, not even making note of who spoke - though he had a feeling it was Sephiroth. "Yes. There was a flash of blinding light, before I was faced with a four-legged creature, that stood taller than the General... it _looked _as if Angeal himself was a part of it, at the core, with his arms crossed over his chest, but two more arms sprouting from its shoulder pads... wielding a trident in one hand, and a shield in the other."

"And the..." Sephiroth had noticed Zack's deliberate avoidance of the word 'monster' and followed suit. "_creature, _it was hostile?"

"We did battle, and I landed a fatal blow." Zack's eyes finally moved from their spot staring at nothing to look at his mentor, looking away quickly, when he realized the man was unconsciously hovering a hand over his chest, where the sword had - "I killed it. Him... Angeal returned to himself, looking like _that..._and... died."

Genesis noted the stilted cadence of the young SOLDIER's voice, and took over, aware that they were damn lucky the youth was so well-trained that he could deliver that report without losing it again. Still, he wasn't one to rely on luck alone. "I had arrived at that point. Very much _not_ dead, thank you. I saw you pull something from your pouch, which I presume was a Phoenix Down since it brought Angeal back at a touch. And then, you just _poured _your magic into him. Cure after Cure, until he had the sense to stop you."

"I _had _to save him." Zack murmured, a bit shaken by the memories.

"And you _did._" Angeal cut in, finally having had quite enough of this. He could see Zack blaming himself again, could tell he did from the way he'd talked that he didn't realize he'd _had no choice._He couldn't have talked Angeal out of it, and there was no reasoning with the monster he'd turned into. That he'd chosen to give him a second chance was beyond merciful, mercy that he'd spend every day trying to be worthy of. "I'm here. I'm alive."

"Hm."

"_Hm?_" Genesis arched a brow, looking at the Professor as she turned back to her notepad. "That's never a good sound. That means you're getting creative."

"Hush, you." She scolded absently, frowning over her shoulder at Angeal. "What happened to the bodies?"

"Bodies?" He blinked, confused.

"Of the four 'copies' you absorbed, that Zack mentioned." She explained. "He stated that you returned to yourself, but said nothing of what happened to them."

"I..." Again with the confused blinking. "Hadn't really thought about it. I suppose I still retain their properties..."

"Then we may have solved our mystery." She decided, getting their collective attention. "You, Angeal, were never degrading."

"Then... what's happening to me?" He asked, wary of what on the surface _seemed _good news. After all, if he wasn't degrading, that meant there was simply another issue...

"You need to expel the extra matter from your system." Rayleigh made a note, looking up at him. "If you _keep_ them inside you, you may well _start _degrading. You may anyway, as you, like Mr. Valentine pointed out, were born with stagnant Jenova cells."

"What does that have to do with it?" Genesis wondered, narrowing his eyes. Hollander had never specified if the cells were living or not... and he couldn't fathom how they possibly _could_ be. Planet, Jenova was a multi-millenia old _monster! _She had no business being classified as 'living' in any way, even on a cellular level.

"No matter how good an enzyme is, when DNA replicates, a bit of the end gets cut off. This is not normally a problem, because of the existence of telomeres - a region of repetitive DNA at the end of the chromosome that _can_ be cut off without damaging the enzymes when they replicate." She explained, beginning to pace. "Of course, one _would_ eventually run out of telomere, if they weren't replenished regularly by another particular enzyme. This is where you are running into a problem. SOLDIER metabolism is extraordinarily fast, causing faster replication, with more being taken off each time until you have no telomere left and it starts to eat away at the enzymes, causing you to degrade."

"Wait, wait." Zack waved a hand, frowning. "All four of us are SOLDIERs, with fast metabolisms. That can't be it."

"It can." Sephiroth frowned as well, following her explanation a bit more thoroughly. "It has something to do with the speed of replication achieved by living cells verses dead cells."

"Precisely." Rayleigh nodded. "Angeal and Genesis were born with stagnant Jenova cells, which don't have the active enzyme needed to replenish their telomeres. Sephiroth, and SOLDIERs injected by Hojo in the program like Zack, all have some variety of living Jenova cells, which are capable of making DNA with a superior speed, accuracy, and stability, and thus do _not _degrade."

"So what we need is a transfusion of living Jenova cells." Genesis sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Only, no one knows where they keep them! Supposedly, not even Hojo!"

"Not so." Vincent spoke up again, quietly, having taken all of this in. "They locked her away in the Nibel Reactor once it was built."

"They could have moved her since." Sephiroth noted. "It's been twenty-three years."

He shrugged in agreement, having said his piece. Realizing he had no intention to say more, the SOLDIERs looked among themselves thoughtfully. Sephiroth glanced at Rayleigh, curious. "Would a transfusion of _my_ _cells_ be enough?"

"It may." She nodded. "I will have to perform a few tests with your and Genesis' blood to be sure. In the mean time, I suggest Angeal find a way to get rid of the extra matter he's hosting."

Angeal nodded, glancing back to Sephiroth to seek orders; despite being rogue now, he still felt compelled to report to his former leader. "What would you have us do now?"

"I suppose we'll split up, provided everyone keeps their PHS on and stays in the Manor." He frowned, not liking the idea, but finding it most practical. "Angeal, do you know what you need to do in order to... _purge_... this 'extra matter'?"

"I think I can figure it out." He assured him calmly.

"Very well. Will you be able to take care of it in the main cavern?" He gestured to the doors, indicating the large space beyond. At Angeal's nod, he turned. "I will supervise, then. Genesis, you and the trooper are to stay and assist Rayleigh in any way she requires. Zack, accompany the Turks while they check out the rest of the Manor, see what's available. Valentine... you are with me."

"Very well." The group scattered, Vincent following Sephiroth to flank the other side of the doors while Angeal walked to the center of the cavern. At the General's speculative glance, he stiffened. "What?"

"I was wondering if you were armed. In case things do not go as planned with Angeal." The silver haired man murmured softly, just loudly enough to carry.

"Hm." A gun was lifted from Valentine's side, that was nothing short of a hand-cannon, a massive beast with three, shining black barrels. At Sephiroth's lifted brow, he ducked his head, hiding a smirk in the collar of his mantle.

Somehow, Sephiroth knew it was there anyway, but didn't call him on it, simply shaking his head. "Tell me about her."

"Lucrecia?" Vincent spoke her voice with such reverence, it was not hard to tell he was once her lover. "I suppose I owe you that; Lucrecia was a Class A Scientist for ShinRa, specializing in Bio-Technology. I do not know what her work was prior to the Project, but as she worked with my father before his death, it can be assumed it had something to do with the Lifestream. As can be concluded from her profession, she was an intelligent woman, but she was also kind... and beautiful."

"You love her."

"Yes." It was hardly a question, but Vincent felt it deserved confirmation all the same. "I always will."

"Then perhaps, when things settle down, we can look for her together." The General mused. At the stare he received - and he simply _knew_, he would not be wrenching words from the red-eyed man now - he blinked innocently, and clarified. "She _defected. _I never knew her."

"Not dead." He rasped, shocked by this small, yet overwhelmingly important detail.

"We don't know." Sephiroth shrugged. "But, I prefer to think not. I like to think I would get to know both my parents - even if it was twenty-three years later than most people usually become acquainted with theirs."

The stunned look at his implications was one he committed to memory, somehow knowing it was not a common look for Valentine. The man looked ready to make some sort of comment, likely about his not clarifying that sooner, but a sudden shout interrupted him, a bright light filling the cavern. Both men turned sharply at that, Masamune rapidly taking shape in Sephiroth's grasp as he laid eyes on a creature that matched Zack's description far too well to be anything else.

Granted, Angeal was no longer a part of the... creature; he could make out a hound's head, bizarre above a Sahagin's torso, with a small trident and no shield to be seen. It joined to a grayish griffon's body, with a massive gaping mouth in the middle, the three lashing tails at its rear. Angeal himself stood in front of the creature a moment, breathing hard and staring, transfixed, at what he had forced Zack to fight. It was too much... he took a step back, and found himself too weak to support his weight and that of his sword, going down with a pained groan.

"Angeal?" Genesis burst out of the lab, hearing his best friend's cry, and stared, horrified, at the beast. "Did he transform again?"

"He's on the ground." Vincent gestured with his gun, before training it on the beast.

"Goddess... Angeal!" The crimson warrior ran past them, evading Sephiroth's attempt to stop him, and knelt by Angeal, cradling his fallen form. "Geal, look at me. Tell me you're alright!"

"I'm alright." The fallen SOLDIER _did_ look much better, hair no longer streaked with white, skin regaining color as well, but he was clearly weakened, failing to pull himself upright. Sighing resignedly, he leaned heavily against Genesis, and looked up at the beast. The _monster_ he had created. Goddess, how could Zack look him in the eye after that? How could he _bring him back?_

"Angeal?" Genesis' voice was uncharacteristically soft, as he touched the corner of his friend's eye, noting a suspicious sheen of moisture. Though he was softhearted, it took a lot to drive Angeal to tears. Just the _hint_ of them greatly worried the older Banoran.

A roar from the beast, though, reminded him that there _were_ more pressing worries. A quick glance showed the beast lumbering closer, trident swinging down - Genesis reached for Rapier, heart jumping to his throat - _would he make it in time?_

Time slowed, and he saw a flash of black and silver, for once in his life reassured by it. Masamune deflected the trident easily, dancing the creature backward. Then, with a single crack of a gun, three bullets went streaming through the air to embed in the beast's head, staggering it back - conveniently, right into the General's warpath. Three slices, cutting the beast head to chest and from each shoulder to hip, made sure it would not be making a reappearance, and he watched it dissolve into light green sparks before turning back to Genesis and Angeal. "That was... interesting. How is Angeal?"

"I'm right here." The First muttered, running a trembling hand through his hair.

Genesis frowned, ignoring the mutter. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to have Rayleigh look at him... and then, he should rest."

"Don't I get any say in this?" He grumbled, unusually out of sorts.

"No." His friends echoed each other, sharing a small smile. "Come, let's get you back to Rayleigh."

Professor Rayleigh was waiting at the door for them to return, with Cloud a step in front of her for protection. Genesis _nearly_ snorted at that. What did the boy think _he _could do, if the creature had gotten past Sephiroth? "Do you have materia on you, Army?"

"Zack made me keep his baby Cure and Thunder," Strife noted softly, looking a bit confused as he stepped aside to let them in.

"Hmph. Can you _use _them?" He prodded.

"Genesis, cease harassing the trooper," Sephiroth kept his usual even tone, yet to Genesis, his amusement was obvious, as was his curiosity.

"If he's on a dangerous mission as backup to SOLDIERs he damn well better be able to cast," Genesis pointed out, leading Angeal over to the table and helping him onto it. "You, stay. You, come."

"Me?" Cloud blinked wide blue eyes, then looked nervously at Sephiroth, who smirked and nodded.

"Regardless of what the Company has said, he is still one of my Commanders, Strife," Sephiroth assured him.

"Sir!" Cloud snapped off a perfect salute, earning a chuckle from Genesis.

"Ah, for the days of such obedience..." With a small smirk on his lips, he beckoned Cloud towards the door. "Come with me. We'll find something for you to attack."

"Hold it." Rayleigh frowned. "I'm not done with -"

"We'll be but a moment. Look Angeal over." Genesis waved a hand dismissively, then grinned wickedly. "Oh, _I_ know... Sephiroth. Come with us."

A silver brow arched, but the General obliged silently, following Genesis out. He had an inkling of what his friend was about to suggest when he was gestured into the center of the cavern. Placing his hands behind his back, he offered the Trooper and Commander a small, wry smile. "May I go first, or are you going to make me cast last minute?"

"Tempting as it is, I _know_ your reflexes. They need no testing." Genesis dismissed. "No, I want to see the Trooper in action. Cast your MagicBarrier."

"You want me to electrocute _General Sephiroth?_" The poor teen sounded horrified.

"Well, I want you to _try._" The Commander snorted. "I don't _expect_ you to _succeed."_

That was, in Sephiroth's view, probably the _wrong_ thing to say. Angeal would certainly have agreed if he'd been present, judging from the sudden flash in the boy's sky blue eyes, gold brows drawing together sharply as he spun away from Genesis. To their confusion, he pulled an arm to his chest, a faint bluish-white glow beginning in the palm of his glove. Apparently aware of it, he cupped his hand around the spark, quickly nurturing it into a ball, and then throwing his arm out towards Sephiroth.

The result was three massive bolts, winding together and speeding towards the startled General. So startled, in fact, he was simply _reacting_ when snapping his hand up, a pale blue sheen doming around him and absorbing the jolt.


	9. Chicobo Joins the Flock

**DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't own.**

**SHOUTOUT: Regarding the last chapter... yeah, that was my brainchild there. Lots of sciency babble. Kudos to those of you who got it, and a BIG shoutout to the replies I got - you know who you are!  
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><p>"I thought you said it was a baby <em>Thunder?<em>"

"It is, sir." Cloud went to show his bangle, turning down his glove, and stared in shock. "... was."

"Pardon?"

"Goddess, you _broke it?_" Genesis laughed, a wide grin on his face as he came over and peered at the shards and dust of the broken Materia sitting in the bracer. "Well I'll be damned... _that_ was impressive, SOLDIER."

"Sir?" Cloud blinked at him, wondering at the change in title but too dumbfounded to ask - especially once Genesis began to twirl his own bracer on his wrist, looking at the materia thoughtfully. "_Sir?_"

"You need something _better, _clearly." Sighing, he moved his duster aside and looked through his inventory, muttering to himself before coming up with a dark green orb and tossing it Cloud's way. "Here. You know what that is?"

Snatching it out of the air by reflex, Cloud felt instant warmth through his glove, and blinked as he lifted the materia to his face to look at it better. Dark green and throbbing with power, it _felt _like - "A mastered Fire? You're _giving me_ a _mastered _Fire Materia?"

"You'll grow into it." He assured him breezily, beginning to clean the shards out of the stunned youth's bracer as he simply stood there, gaping. "Sephiroth, _why _is he still Army?"

"I do not know." Sephiroth confessed, looking at Cloud speculatively. "Are you career Army?"

"Goddess, _no,_he can't be!" Genesis stopped, staring down at the trooper. "You're not. You're going to be in SOLDIER."

"I'm going to try for SOLDIER in the Fall..." Cloud mumbled sheepishly, blinking when they both stared at him. "But... why did you give me a _mastered materia? _No offense, Sir, but I'm just a grunt right now. I don't even know if they'll let me keep it... they generally don't approve of you having things they haven't trained you to use."

"You use it the same way you use _any_ mat-" Understanding dawned, and the swordmage sputtered. "You've not been taught? You... have no formal training with materia?"

"No, Sir, my mother trained me a little but nothing from the Company." He frowned at the _look _exchanged between General and Commander, confused and certain he had missed something when Sephiroth inclined his head, nodding regally. "What?"

"You will be allowed to keep it." Sephiroth assured him softly, a small smile on his lips. "On one condition."

"Sir?" He watched as they exchanged another _look_, and felt a little frustrated, though he didn't dare speak out.

"You have, assuredly by now, realized we're in one hell of a mess here." Genesis noted. "You knew Angeal and I were deserters - probably saw the issued notice that we were killed in action, ShinRa well wishes - as you can see, we're not. You've likely realized, also, by now, that SOLDIER is one giant human experiment, to one degree or another. Sephiroth, Angeal and I being the first of all, and thus most modified. In fact, you have heard things on this mission that _no Army _has business knowing, things sensitive enough to get people killed."

"Sir?" Cloud frowned uncertainly, not liking where it seemed this was headed. "I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"I'm not buying your silence, Cloud." The Commander seemed almost insulted. "I want you to join us."

"Join you?" He looked between them. "I thought... you came back to ShinRa, didn't you?"

"It's a touchy thing. We don't know if they'll take Angeal and I back, or if they'll try to kill us." Genesis sighed, as if this was all very common and rather boring.

"'Try' they may." Sephiroth muttered darkly. "They will get no farther than that."

"Considering their best Firsts are all lumped on one side, no, I'd say not." The crimson Commander snorted, waving a hand dismissively. "But we digress. Will you join us, Cloud? And stand by our side, no matter what happens?"

Cloud frowned, thinking seriously. He _had_ heard incredible, horrible things since Modeoheim, which shed an unfortunate light on all things ShinRa. _Well..._ he thought, looking between the Commander he was seeing an entirely new side of and the General he now genuinely looked up to, _not ALL things._But then, from what they were saying... they might not be ShinRa much longer.

And they wanted him with them? Planet, this was too big a decision to make on his own. "Sirs, since we _are _in Nibelheim... could I... ask my mother's opinion?"

"You wish to ask your... mother's advice?" Sephiroth asked, all the more curious once the trooper blushed and nodded.

"With all due respect, Sirs, I'm all she's got. If... if I'm going to go rogue and have ShinRa trying to hunt me down... she deserves to know the truth." By the end, he had regained his courage, and even looked the General in the eye with boldness he'd not known he had. "She's my Ma. She raised me, all by herself, so if you want me you have her to thank."

"Very well." Sephiroth inclined his head, accepting this. "We will return Genesis to Prof. Rayleigh's care, and then see about how to arrange things with your mother."

"_Sephiroth -" _Genesis attempted to protest, only to freeze, tilting his head as he - and apparently the man in question - both heard something Cloud could not.

"Was that _Angeal?" _Sephiroth looked concerned, striding toward the lab, belatedly gesturing for Cloud to follow and dodging a bit when Genesis zipped around him, calling out to their friend.

Angeal lay on his back on the exam table, shirt off, gripping the table tensely as Rayleigh examined the not-quite-healed scar of a sword wound, lightly pressing the tender skin around it. "- _yessss. _Yes, damn it, it hurts."

"And no wonder. You weren't Cured fully." She frowned in disapproval, something that didn't sit well with the SOLDIER.

"Zack did what he could - more than he should have. He worked himself to exhaustion trying to bring me back, without a thought to himself." He snapped, sitting up with a slight wince, trying to ignore the stab of pain through his abdomen.

"Commander Hewley, Sir, I could..." Cloud gestured to his bracer, and Sephiroth shook his head, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"No, this time let me. You won't get enough spells off to do the job... and you might break it trying." Green eyes sparkled a bit, and as he turned to Angeal, Cloud found himself staring in shock, realizing he'd just been teased by the normally stoic man.

Angeal sat very still, as Sephiroth held a hand a few inches over his scar, watching as tendrils of green healing waves began to trickle from his bracer, absorbing into the wound and deeper into the unseen tissues below. Soon, he sighed in relief and slumped back, the scar paling to a thick white line, but finally healed from the inside out. "Thanks."

The General nodded, green eyes serious. "Next time you are in such pain, I expect you to speak up."

Angeal nodded, looking at the group with a frown. "Where are Zack and the others?"

"Still exploring, I imagine." Sephiroth raised a brow, with the faintest hints of a knowing smile. "I suppose you'll be wanting to check on him?"

"He's alone -" The Mentor in him was getting worked up now.

"- he's with the Turks -" From Genesis' expression, he knew what his friend would say next.

"- he's _alone_ with the _Turks_, which is worse. And he's sick." Angeal frowned darkly, until Cloud fished a PHS from his pocket and offered it to him. Dark blue eyes blinked. "I wasn't aware infantry were allowed phones."

"We're not _provided _phones." Cloud corrected. "If you can get one in, and manage to keep it discreetly, then you're 'allowed' to keep it."

"In other words, it's contraband." Genesis smirked, enjoying the boy's nervous shuffle. "Oh don't you worry. I won't tell. I've done worse than smuggle a phone."

Angeal snorted, but saved his lecture about honesty - simply glad for a phone that had Zack's number in it. "Zack?"

_"Yo."_

"Reno. Why do you have Zack's phone?" Angeal's voice had a dangerous edge to it, and Genesis rested a calming hand on his shoulder instinctively; normally, Hewley was the most levelheaded and reasonable of the legendary trio, but mess with Fair and suddenly things changed.

_"Had a couple 'encounters' cleaning up the manor - place is infested with monsters - an' Zack musta overdone it."_ He explained calmly. _"He's all right, just restin' in one of the beds, but you might see if the professor can work any magic for him. He's shiverin' a lot an' - oh. Heh. He wants t'talk to ya."_

"Put him on." There was a shuffling, of what he imagined were blankets, and a few soft coughs. "Zack?"

"_Hey..."_ Zack's voice was rough, and a bit congested, clearly sicker than he'd been just a little bit ago._ "How'd it go? You ok?"_

"I'm fine. Which room are you in?" Angeal's voice softened with concern as he gathered his clothes, managing to get into his ribbed shirt and fuss with his belts without dropping the phone - something that boggled Sephiroth and amused Genesis. The pauldrons were a bit trickier, but he managed, heading to the corner, grabbing his sword and starting for the door as soon as Zack told him where he was. "I'll be there in a minute. You rest."

"_Ang-_"

"Rest." He closed the phone, turning to hand it back to Cloud and looking around. "Strife?"

"He's resting." Vincent murmured, gesturing to where the the young trooper had moved to the corner and now leaned lightly against the wall, vibrant eyes nearly shut, head dipped down towards his chest.

There was a long pause, before Sephiroth noted. "I do not think anyone has slept since the Modeoheim mission was begun."

Genesis exhaled loudly, stunned. "And the chicobo _still _pulled off a Thundara?" Planet, what could the boy do with a full night's rest and some _good_ materia?

He couldn't wait to find out.

"Should Commander Hewley be leaving?" Vincent asked, wanting to get them back to the matter at hand, gesturing to where the dark haired swordsman was vanishing through the door, phone left behind on the table.

"I should like to see you stop him." Genesis remarked wryly. "Now that he knows his puppy needs him."

"I will accompany him, to find out what the Turks have found." Sephiroth decided. "And perhaps to find what beds are available."

"A wonderful idea." The remaining commander nodded, feeling the pull of sleep himself, though he'd not complain about it. "Shall we remain with Rayleigh?"

"It would be wise." He nodded, and, orders given, made his way after Angeal.

As it turned out, Zack was in a bed in the wing opposite the passage to the basement, laying in the middle bed while the Turks stood in the doorway, Angeal perched on the edge of it, stroking his hair and talking quietly to him. The group all looked up at the General's arrival, though he only had interest in his Firsts at the moment.

"Angeal, Zack." Sephiroth approached the bed, standing at the foot of it a moment and looking them over. Yes, they most definitely needed rest... Zack was awake, but barely, and Angeal was clearly running on adrenaline, which had its limits. "I think, perhaps, it's time we all got a bit of rest."

Zack yawned, stretching a little before curling up. "Sounds good."

"I will go and get Genesis to sit with you." The General decided. "Also, I will be taking the trooper home for a bit. We will return in the morning."

Angeal raised a brow, surprised, but it was Zack who shot up, narrowing fever bright eyes. "What are you doing with Spiky?"

"Genesis wishes to keep him." From Angeal's expression, perhaps that wasn't the right wording. He elaborated quickly, "- with us. He shows great talent with materia, despite a lack of formal training, and I think Genesis is interested in instructing him further."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Angeal mused.

Zack frowned, thinking that over. "Wait, for Genesis to mentor him, wouldn't Spike have to be -"

"In SOLDIER, yes. We would sponsor him upon our return to ShinRa. Of course, if Shinra turns on us, that will be unimportant." The silver General noted. "But, that is the plan."

"Ohhhh yeah!" Fair grinned, bouncing a little and ignoring the slight bout of coughing it triggered. "Spiky's gonna be a SOLDIER boy!"

"Settle down, Zack." Angeal cautioned, petting the younger First's hair and hiding a smirk at how _quickly_ the gesture seemed to calm the bouncy teen; he'd have to remember that for future use... "I believe _our_immediate part in the plan is sleep."

"Correct." Sephiroth inclined his head, pulling out his PHS and staring at it for a moment before handing it to Zack. "Dial Strife. It will be quicker to simply ask he and Genesis to come up."

"All right." Zack dialed the number he'd memorized when he'd learned the Trooper had a phone, bringing the phone to his ear and humming as he waited for him to pick up. "Spike-Spike-Spikity-Spiked-Spike-Spike-"

"_Fair._" The voice on the other end was neither as amused by Zack as he was himself, nor as annoyed as Cloud likely would have been. In fact, the genteel accent said it wasn't Cloud at all.

"Genesis? Why -"

_"The Trooper is sleeping. Why do _you _have _Sephiroth's _phone? Don't you have one?_" Genesis asked pointedly.

"Yeah, need to get it from Reno, though... anyway, Sephiroth didn't know Cloud's number." The younger First pointed out. "And he wants you and Cloud to come up here; he's taking Spike to his mother's and I guess you're staying up here with Angeal and me."

"_Put Sephiroth on."_

Zack shrugged, and handed the phone to the General. "'s for you."

Sephiroth accepted the phone, listening to Genesis' line of questioning before deeming it all rather unimportant for the moment, and quietly stating. "Report with Trooper Strife to the second floor of the manor. You will be taking turns with Angeal and Zack on night shift, while I escort Strife home."

There was a long pause before Genesis quietly agreed, hanging up without waiting for further instruction. Only a small furrow between silver brows told of the General's displeasure with the action, his gaze turning back to the two raven-haired Firsts; Zack was curled against Angeal now, held securely against the larger man's chest as they awaited news. "Well?"

"He's coming." If one could take Genesis at his word, at any rate.

"'s good." Zack mumbled, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "He's bringing Cloud?"

"Yes. I'll meet them and escort Strife home." Sephiroth nodded slightly. "Genesis will stay with you. I suggest the three of you work out some sort of schedule to allow for sleep. The Turks will be nearby, if something was to happen and you require assistance before I can return."

"We'll be fine." Angeal assured him calmly, seeming perfectly self assured despite the increasingly dead-to-the-world youth lying against him. "Go meet them. And send Reno back with Zack's phone."

"Very well." In a whirl of black and silver, the General was out the door, and gone to first get issues settled with the Turks, before he greeted his older friend and the tired trooper. "Angeal and Zack are in the opposite wing. You'll find them quickly enough. Strife, you're with me."

Watching Genesis disappear down the hall, Sephiroth made a motion for Cloud to follow him. "Will you be alert enough to lead me to your home?"

"No worries, I could find my way home in my sleep, Sir."

Which was quite a good thing, Sephiroth mused, as the trooper proceeded to sway on the spot, nearly falling down the stairs headlong, before he was caught. It looked like he just might have to.


	10. The GreenEyed Monster and Specimen L

**DISCLAIMER: Still don't own it... kudos to the people that do!**

**A/N: This chapter was a BEAR to write... Genesis did NOT want to get inside my head... not that I can blame him. It's dangerous in there! XD Also, I'm having some trouble writing and getting close to the end of my buffer... what this means is NOT that the story will be discontinued. I refuse to give up on AW. It means, there might be longer time between updates in order to assure quality writing. Hang in there, folks, and thank you SO MUCH for the support. It means the world to me.**

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><p>Hours had passed since Sephiroth had escorted the chicobo back to his nest... he had yet to return, and as he watched the night approach, it occurred to Genesis that he wasn't coming back. In a way, he supposed this was just as well - it gave him time to think before speaking with the younger man, what with the rest of the party presumably asleep, or at least out of sight.<p>

And he had much to think about, far too much to sleep even if he'd felt safe enough to leave Angeal unguarded. He glanced across the room, to where his old friend lay with his student curled against him, both taking full advantage of the opportunity to sleep. Zack's breathing was a soft rasp in the background, the teen still suffering from whatever malady had struck him in Modeoheim. He'd been through a lot lately, and it was a wonder he hadn't succumbed to sleep's call sooner; Genesis hadn't gone easy on him, and he knew in the very least, fighting Angeal had been terribly traumatic for the youngest of the Firsts.

A slight shudder trailed up his spine at the thought of Angeal's death. While he hadn't lied - he _didn't_ blame Zack for defending himself - he wasn't quite sorted out on how he _did_ feel, beyond a terrible, aching sadness. Angeal never should have gotten to that point, and when he _did,_ Genesis should have noticed. It was a horrifically effective 'wake up call' for how self absorbed he had gotten, how deeply entangled in revenge he had become. And it made him worry... what else had he missed?

_Other than Sephiroth._

Genesis scowled at his traitorous thoughts; the last thing he wanted to do was think about _Sephiroth,_ and yet, he couldn't seem to help himself. He'd always been drawn to the younger man, ever since he'd first seen him in the newspaper, back in Banora. Things had been so simple then, his hopes and dreams seemed so _clear_. He'd wanted to be a _hero - _hell, that was why he'd joined ShinRa to begin with! Fame, fortune, and adulation of the masses had all seemed within his grasp as he'd advanced through the ranks. He'd had everything a man could want.

_Almost._

Again, thoughts of Sephiroth bombarded him, that smug little smirk, the flashes of Masamune's blade - so quick and agile despite the metal monstrosity's ridiculous length - something he had seen first from a distance, and then in person, all too close. It had taken time, but he had done more than just watch the young General from afar - in the years since he had first joined SOLDIER, he had managed to slowly befriend him. It was, quite easily, one of the harder things he'd done, compared to any 'diplomatic mission,' not that they sent him on many of those with Angeal around... but he'd managed to do so, and with flair. Which made _one _of them - Sephiroth had _no_ social graces at the time. Which made him wonder...

Just _what _had happened in his absence?

Not that Sephiroth was suddenly Prince Charming, but he was considerably better. He was picking up on things that would have normally sailed right over his silvery head, and it seemed he'd managed to make a new friend while Genesis was away. The Commander never pegged him for a dog person, let alone the kind with the patience for a puppy, but lo and behold, they were on first name basis! Fair even had Sephiroth's number - and not only did the General answer, but _promptly._

The green-eyed monster pointed out that Sephiroth _rarely_ answered _him_ promptly. Not only that, but just how long had it taken the boy to get so close to the man-of-ice anyway? Not _nearly_ as long as it had taken _him_, he'd bet! When he'd left six months ago, the man had been barely aware of Zack's existence, let alone having spoken to him; yet _now _Zack seemed just as close, if not closer, to Sephiroth than Genesis had been. It wasn't _fair..._

Or maybe, the problem was that it _was _Fair. He'd gotten close to Angeal, too, in record time. Not that it was particularly _hard _to; Angeal was a good man, and the more approachable of the trio despite his stern appearance and tendency to frown a little too much. It spoke well of the teen, that he'd seen through all the lectures and scolding to the intelligence and concern beneath. Beyond that, he had overwhelming faith in his mentor, even when he had lost faith in himself - bringing him back from his self destruction with what seemed to be a genuine hope for the better. He was the sort of friend that Angeal deserved... a friend that wasn't _dying_, and going to leave him alone.

Oh, certainly, he planned to do all he could to live, but... what if... Rayleigh _couldn't _cure him? What if there _was _no cure for degradation?

Genesis closed his eyes, letting out a soft, tense breath, looking away from Angeal and Zack. He couldn't help but think of how horrible things could be, if he continued to degrade. It had been nine months since he had started degrading, and beyond the inconvenience of his hair whitening and his skin flaking, he was constantly in pain. And no little amount of it; his body burned and ached in ways and places it had never before. And it would only continue to get worse.

Though perhaps... it was really what he deserved for being the _root_ of his friends' troubles.

Thinking back to the so-called _spar _that had gone so out-of-control, his fit of temper had been more suited to a _villain _than the hero he desired to be. Certainly, lashing out at those he called his friends had not been something he was proud of. And, not only was he paying for it in body... there had clearly been a fallout from it, and his eventual desertion, as well.

Yet, that had only been the beginning, and it had not been _only _his friends harmed by his actions. Most of the men who had deserted with him were now dead, as were many of those he had grown up knowing. Some by his own hand, some by the Turks that had been dispatched to Banora. His own parents...

Briefly, anger and grief swelled within him at the thought. The mere _word._ 'Parents.' Hmph. Those that bore him, wanted nothing to do with him - nor he with them! And those that had _raised _him... well, what did it matter _now?_ They were gone. The story of his life - betrayed and abandoned... was it any wonder that was all he knew how to do?

"Gen?" A rough, sleepy whisper from across the room almost made the crimson clad warrior jump, looking over to meet Angeal's softly glowing eyes. "What time is it?"

"Not yet morning. Sleep." His voice was soft, soothing despite his unsettled thoughts, but Angeal merely frowned at him and shifted Zack into one arm to better look at him. "Don't give me that look, Angeal."

"You weren't going to wake me."

"You need sleep." Genesis noted. _And you CAN; _sleep had once been a favorite state for the Banoran swordmage, but in his current state of constant pain, he simply wasn't able to relax enough to fall to sleep. He either exhausted himself until he passed out, or, once Angeal had joined him, the younger rogue would cast Sleep on him. The materia-induced slumber was one of the few times he was able to rest peacefully and soundly. Perhaps because he knew Angeal was nearby. "You may be healed, but your body is exhausted. Rest."

"When was the last time you slept?" Angeal ignored his reasoning, frown deepening. "_Really_ slept. Not those little catnaps you catch when you're too run down to move."

"I don't know, Angeal... is it so important?" Genesis sighed at his friend's expression, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I can always sleep later - it's not as if we're going anywhere any time soon."

Almost as if with that proclamation, there was a sudden ringing echoing through the manor. Moments later, Reno's voice clarified the issue. "Landline's ringin' yo!"

"Do _not_ answer it." Tseng's softer voice was still clear to the enhanced duo.

"But -"

"Turk, no one is supposed to know where we are," Genesis added impatiently, rising and leaning in the doorway, voice carrying well in the old halls of the manor. "That _means_, if someone is calling, it's probably a wrong number."

"It's still ringin'." Reno noted.

"Well, _don't answer it._" The crimson Commander snapped.

"... it's _Hojo, _yo!"

"Do NOT answer it, Turk!" Genesis strode down the hall, nearly breaking into a run on his way to the other room. Finding Tseng with a hand on Reno's arm was reassuring, but hearing Hojo's voice ruined any calm that he'd had.

"-_petent fool! Where is he? I told him to go through the sewer system..." _There was some unintelligible mumbling and shuffling of papers. "_The intelligence of Specimen L is sorely lacking compared to Specimen S... but at least he is eager to please. Perhaps _too _eager... if he has gone to Jenova directly and retrieved her without stopping, there is the possibility that he may escape before Specimen S arrives... yet again, we shall have to put off Reunion. Though, perhaps, we will stage it again in-"_

With an anti-climatic 'click' Hojo's voice fell silent, leaving the three men to stare at the machine.

"Who's Specimen 'L'?" Zack wanted to know, leaning past Genesis and making the older man jump in surprise. Sleepy blue eyes widened a bit, just as surprised. "What?"

"You... bed..." Genesis sputtered, only to stop and collect himself. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Cause... I'm here?" He frowned a little, as if he wasn't quite sure himself. Or perhaps, he just was confused as to why Genesis was asking.

"Thought you were _sleepin',_yo!" Reno complained, shrugging Tseng off in an attempt to appear better composed than Genesis. "How'd you get Commander Cuddles to let you go?"

Two pairs of bright mako blues blinked at him. "Commander... _Cuddles?"_

Hearing it repeated by Genesis made it _that _much funnier, and Zack laughed until he started coughing, a harsh, deep sound that didn't bode well, leaning into the elder SOLDIER as he swayed. Carefully, hesitantly, the Commander supported him, easing him over to sit on the large bed and resting a hand on his back until he'd stopped.

"When morning comes, someone is going to have to go into town and get some medicine for you." Angeal's deep voice startled Reno, the SOLDIER seeming to almost appear out of nowhere, much as his former student had done.

"What the hell, yo?" Reno squawked, stepping back nervously, just in case Angeal had heard him earlier. "Sneaking is Turk business!"

"I don't _sneak._" Angeal noted dryly. "And I don't _need _to_._"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" The flame haired Turk demanded.

"He's naturally quiet." Genesis shrugged.

"_Never _play hide and seek with him." Zack agreed. "You'll never find him!"

Three odd looks were sent his way - Reno with an open mouth that was slowly curling into a smirk, Tseng with an arched brow, and Genesis with an expression of sheer incredulity as he looked from the youth to his blushing mentor. "_Angeal?_"

"What did Hojo want?" Angeal quickly changed the topic, fixing his gaze on Tseng, who was most likely to answer him.

"I don't think he realized that he was on an answering machine." The Turk reflected. "He was talking to himself, as he has a tendency to do."

"More like ranting." Zack observed. "He was upset at some guy he called 'Specimen L' - apparently he's supposed to be _here._ Come up through the sewer passage that Professor Rayleigh mentioned, and it _sounds_ like he's here to go get Jenova."

"Does he know we're here?"

"No, well, kinda. He thinks Sephiroth is on the way, and must know about everyone else on the mission log. No clue if he knows about you two." Fair gestured between the Banoran Commanders. "He _does _know you were last seen with Sephiroth, though."

"So sure?" Tseng arched a brow, curious; at Veld's order, they'd not let anyone see the security feed from the helipad, and he'd not heard of any misadventures in the halls...

"Yeah, Hollander squealed." The teen confirmed, laughing nervously at the sudden sharp looks received. "Heh. Sorry, forgot to mention that... got awful sleepy."

Deducing he'd found out _before_ his nap, then, Genesis' eyes lit with understanding. _Kunsel._"I see. Well, what can you tell us?"

"Not much. He offered to 'spare' Hollander if he'd cooperate. Hollander told him you guys were with Sephiroth now, confirmed your uh... degradation... and then Hojo was saying how he could persuade you all to do things _his_way." Zack shrugged. "We didn't hear any more."

"Would have been nice to know sooner." Angeal mused, adding quickly, at the young First's frown, "- but thank you."

"So, Hollander is working with Hojo... who's working with the unknown 'L' - who is supposedly here, in Nibelheim, retrieving Jenova." Genesis mused. "I suppose... we'll have to beat them there."

"Given that we won't know if Rayleigh needs pure J-cells until some time tomorrow..." Angeal nodded, sighing. "I'll get my sword. Pup, you stay here with Gen - I don't like the sound of that cough. You've been pushing too much."

"Angeal!" Genesis and Zack protested at once, only to receive a stern look, mako blues narrowed slightly and dark brows drawn together ominously. Zack was cowed. Genesis, however, was not. "Don't you _dare_ give me that look, Angeal Hewley! I am _not_ a child to be coddled."

"Heeeey." Zack protested, scowling at the implications. "_I'm _not-"

"You haven't slept worth anything in _days,_ Genesis. You need rest." The Buster-wielding swordsman insisted. "Tseng, Reno, and Vincent will come with me to the reactor. I'll be _fine._"

"Shouldn't we call Sephiroth?" Zack asked.

Genesis arched a brow at him. "Sure. But _you're_ waking him up."

The Gongagan paled a little at the thought. "Uhhh..."

"It will be fine." Angeal waved dismissively. "Now, back to bed with the both of you. Reno, give Zack his phone. I assume you and Tseng have at least one between you, so we'll be able to keep in touch."

"Just sit tight, yo; we'll be back before you know it." Reno handed over the phone, glancing back at his mission leader. "Want me t'get Valentine?"

"It may be best that Angeal requests him, personally. So he doesn't feel this is an attempt to bring him back into the fold." Tseng decided, gesturing to the First in question.

"That will not be necessary." Valentine's voice preceded his presence, but having to _look _for him simply made things even more unnerving than the sudden appearance of either SOLDIER had.

"_What the hell, yo?_"

"Reno." Tseng put a hand on the other Turk's shoulder. "Put the EMR down."

"But -"

"Should you attempt to hit me..." Vincent trailed off, stepping through the passageway with a flick of his mantle, revealing the massive hand-cannon he called a 'gun' strapped to his side.

Nothing else needed to be said.

Angeal met Vincent's crimson eyes, a dark brow raised. "Will you come with us?"

"You will need a guide to get to the reactor, anyway." Vincent informed him. "It isn't an easy path."

"I'll assume that's a yes and meet you outside, then." He strode over to the bed and urged Zack up, gesturing for Genesis to go ahead of them.

They barely saw the glow beneath Angeal's glove before he lifted a hand, magic surging forward like a cloud of green, descending upon Genesis in a large bubble. Immediately, the fiery Commander swayed on the spot, lurching as he attempted to turn and glower at his best friend, vibrant blue eyes already slipping shut as the Sleep spell took effect. "Y'bas... _nnnn..._"

Angeal grunted, catching his friend as he fell forward, limp. "About time."

There was a beat of silence. At his side, Zack stared in disbelief at the sneaky, almost _underhanded _maneuver. "'Geal?"

"It's the only way to get him to sleep anymore." The Commander sighed regretfully, hefting his sleeping friend into his arms and carrying him off to bed. "Come on. He should sleep most of the time we're gone, but I assume you have means to handle him if he gets up?"

"You... want me to...?" Zack looked over at where Genesis lay, sleeping peacefully. "But..."

"Zack, please?" If Zack had told _anyone_ where he learned his puppy eyes... no one would have believed him. It was simply too hard to imagine strong, stoic Angeal Hewley looking at _anyone_with 'puppy eyes' - but, sure enough, it was in trying to emulate that earnest, open expression of gentle pleading, that the teen had managed to create his infamous look.

And he was just as vulnerable to Angeal's as everyone else seemed to be to his.

"Oh, all right." He sighed, defeated, and sorted through his inventory. "Just cast Sleep?"

Angeal nodded, smiling, and reached out to ruffle his former student's hair. "Thanks, Zack. Try to rest while we're gone, and tell Seph not to worry."

"Hurry back." Was all Zack had to say, watching his mentor leave. He had the sudden, irrational urge to demand that he call when he arrived... something like foreboding coiling in his stomach as he watched him walk away.

_He'll be back, _the teen assured himself. _Things are different now... he'll be back._


	11. Interlude One: Field Promotion

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Wish it was...**

**SHOUTOUT: Thank you so much for all the reviews, and all the patience! As I said in my last A/N, I'm eating into my buffer so breaks between WILL be longer. Just put me on alert - I promise to update eventually. I'm still writing. 3**

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><p>Cloud woke at dawn, despite the time difference. There was something so ingrained into him about Nibleheim that he just fell right back into old patterns. Stretching and looking around the loft, he smiled a bit as he found the General still asleep, looking peaceful despite the stressful situation they were in. Apparently, the sleep was doing him some good as well.<p>

Hearing his mother moving about downstairs, he decided to go down and speak with her; they'd arrived late the night before and while she'd been happy to see them, they'd all been too tired to discuss things properly. Now was the time. "Ma?"

"Cloud!" Loridia set down the dough she was wrestling with, and smiled brightly at her only child. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a long time." He chuckled, crossing over and sitting at the table. "I'm sorry I didn't get a letter to you, telling you we were coming... things have been really hectic."

"I see. Can you tell me anything, or is it all military secrets?"

The trooper smiled wryly. "Probably the second, but I'm telling you anyway. I need your advice."

Blue eyes so like his own looked at him in concern, and she moved to sit at the table, dough forgotten. "What's the matter, honey?"

Where to _start?_ "You remember telling me, you didn't think ShinRa was all that great, but you'd support me if that's where I wanted to be?" She nodded, and he sighed. "You were right. The Company is turning out to be pretty bad. But, the _people_ there - General Sephiroth, my friend Zack, and the Commanders - they're good people."

"So, you want to stay for them?" She hazarded a guess.

"Well, maybe." He sighed. "That's where it gets really complicated. See, Commander Genesis defected and took a bunch of men with him. At the time, I thought a lot of really nasty things about that... because I didn't _understand._ Ma, the Company... they _experimented _on him, and he might die! It's no wonder he was angry and scared to stay - I would be too. ShinRa has no use for you if you can't do their work, and I don't think they'd just let him _retire, _you know? And apparently, Commander Angeal and even General Sephiroth were the same way - only they _weren't _dying, but -"

"Cloud." His mother reached across the table, placing a gentle hand on top of his. "Calm down. Take a deep breath."

The overwhelmed infantryman nodded, taking a deep breath and squeezing her hand. "Thanks, Ma."

"Of course, honey. Now. Try again, but _slower._"

"Right." Cloud nodded. "I've just found out about all these experiments, and it's kinda unnerving. It makes me wonder what sort of situation I've gotten into without realizing it."

"I'm going to guess by the uniform you're wearing that you're still in the Army... You still have time to back out, Cloud." She put the option before him, and for a moment he considered it. But she could tell that it was _only _considered. "You're invested, aren't you."

"I have people there I care about, that I could help." He explained softly.

"You sound like your mind is made up."

"Almost." He agreed, rubbing the back of his spikes with a sigh. "The General... the Commanders... Zack... they're in danger from the Company. They might all leave, together."

Understanding dawned, and a faintly pleased smile touched Loridia's lips. "They want to take you with them."

"Yeah. But I wanted to run it by you first." Cloud frowned, doing his best to explain seriously without worrying her unnecessarily. "This isn't like when I went to join ShinRa. If we all go rogue... I don't know what will happen, or where we'll go, or even... even when we'll see each other again."

"You'd stay, in that horrible Company, while all your friends leave, just for me?" She tsked, shaking her head. "No, I won't ask that of you. You need to do what's best for you, don't worry about me."

"But, Ma..." the younger blond lowered his head with a small sigh. "I can't _not _worry about you. You're my _mother_."

Quiet footsteps alerted them that Sephiroth was awake.

A sudden explosion of sound told them he was _not _into mornings. Or subtlety.

"General Sephiroth, sir?" Cloud asked warily, rising from the table and coming back to the stairs just in time to dodge a rolling pile of old blankets, still mostly holding the shape of a basket. "Are you..."

He never finished his sentence, as he turned and got a better view of the stairwell and his General. 'All right' was not the word for it.

The General had apparently... fallen? though it was hard to imagine... and skidded into the 'wall' of baskets his mother had of blankets, old clothes, fabric and such, knocking into them forcefully; one had stuck to his boot, others fallen in his way... and... there was one on his head. "Cloud?"

Confusion was followed by recognition, and Cloud tried not to smile as he realized what must have happened. Somehow, he must not have been fully awake when he'd started moving - evidenced by the lack of his omnipresent black coat - and had stumbled on something on his way down... leading him to his current state, wide-eyed and clinging to the handrail. "Would you like a hand, sir?"

"..." Slowly, almost reluctantly, Sephiroth released his grasp on the handrail. As if it had been waiting for that, another basket, which had been teetering precariously, tipped. Buttons of countless sizes and shapes and colors rained down, skittering and bouncing onto and over the Demon of Wutai.

"Oh dear, did the sewing fall again?"

Footsteps came near, and Cloud backpedalled a bit, almost slipping on a few rogue buttons. "Yeah, but, uh, we're all right, Ma. You shouldn't leave the dough sitting yet, right? We'll clean it up."

"I couldn't ask your _General_ to -"

"On the contrary, Mrs. Strife." Sephiroth insisted, managing to sit up properly, causing another handful of buttons to make a noisy bid for freedom as he worked on getting the basket of yarn off his boot. "I would be glad to be of assistance."

"Oh." Ma Strife blinked as her son shooed her away again, and smiled faintly. "All right. Thank you!"

"My pleasure." He muttered, finally freeing his boot and setting the basket aside. He seemed to consider standing, but there were buttons _everywhere_...

"Here, let me..." Cloud found the missing basket, and began scooping up handfuls and dropping them in, clearing a path up the stairs. "Are you hurt?"

"No." The General grimaced, more in distaste than anything - quite possibly mortified by the entire situation - and started to stand. It was at this point that he seemed to realize something, green eyes widening with something approaching horror as he grit his teeth and muttered a curse.

"Sir?"

"Is your mother... fond... of this basket, Cloud?" He asked stiffly, pointing to the old wicker creation resting on his head.

"She's pretty fond of _all_ of them..." Cloud noted, wincing as he recognized the basket. _How to tell him... _"I, uh, don't think you'd want to be breaking that one."

An annoyed, green eyed glance demanded to know why, hands reaching up, twitching with the urge to tear it apart. "Strife, it is quite possibly one of the poorer quality baskets. What attachment could she have?"

Blue eyes regarded him calmly, nonplussed. "I made it for her, Sir."

Sephiroth stilled. A moment passed, and he frowned. "I see. My apologies. Perhaps you could assist me in removing it, then."

Cloud's eyes widened at the implications. "Your hair's caught?"

"Yes." He drummed his fingers on the edges of the basket lightly, sighing. "Now, if you would...?"

* * *

><p>It didn't take long to free Sephiroth, or to collect the spilled contents of the baskets, though Cloud was fairly certain he'd missed a few buttons somewhere. Breakfast passed far more peacefully than Sephiroth's initial trip down the stairs, ending with the silver-haired SOLDIER once more surprising Loridia with an offer to help with the dishes. As there weren't many, Cloud found himself quickly shooed out of the kitchen, and decided he'd try to give Zack a call.<p>

Only for the call to fail to go through. There was too much static, or interference, and finally it just _quit._ Blinking, he tried again. No luck.

"You won't get regular cell phone service out in the mountains, Cloud." Sephiroth noted, chuckling a little when the trooper in question jolted in surprise.

Cloud leveled a frown on his PHS, finally noting that the ever-present bars denoting signal strength were missing. "But... Commander Angeal called Zack back at the manor!"

"Yes, and with luck and closer quarters, it _worked_. However, we'll need to use _my _cell in this case, as we have neither going for us and will have to use the PAT Function to contact him." The General explained. Pulling out his sleek, custom PHS and flipping it open, he beckoned Cloud nearer to explain the way it worked. Obviously, he didn't have to explain everything - a phone was a phone - but, Sephiroth had a military-grade PHS, which included various extra functions, such as the PAT - or _push and talk - _which enabled for short bursts of conversation over terrain that wouldn't allow for normal cell phone usage.

"Clever. So, it's like one of those handheld radios?" Cloud summarized. "Only... _more._"

"It's very similar, yes. Far more secure, however." Still holding the phone where Cloud could see the screen clearly, the General selected Zack's name from the list the program proffered. "Unless he has muted his phone, he should hear us... Zack?"

A moment's pause. Then, "_Sephiroth?_"

"Yes." He confirmed. When he didn't immediately continue, despite his finger still pressing the 'Send' button, Cloud decided to voice his concerns.

"Hey, Zack? How are you and the Commanders holding up...?"

The button was released, and Zack replied with an eloquent, "_Uhhhh_..."

Pairs of silver and gold brows drew together in concern. "Zack?"

"_Yeah... 'bout that._.." He hesitated a moment. "_Well, it turns out, Genesis has been real skimpy on the sleep lately. So... Angeal sorta... snuck up on him and... well, he had this Sleep spell -_"

Today was a day for firsts. Cloud had never imagined he'd see the General come so close to gaping. "_Angeal _did what?"

"_Sneak-attacked him?_" It was easy to picture Zack wincing at that. Cloud stifled a laugh, and Sephiroth simply stared at the phone in shock, silent. After a moment, the younger First continued. "_He didn't have much choice. I guess that's pretty much the only way Genesis has been getting any quality sleep these days."_

Sephiroth pursed his lips. "Put Angeal on."

"_Uhhh... no can do._" Zack reported.

"Wake him if you must. I need to ask him about this." A long silence followed his words, long enough that the green-eyed SOLDIER prompted, "Zack?"

"_He, uh, isn't here._" Zack muttered, but it was loud enough to be heard.

The phone squeaked in protest at Sephiroth's tightened grip. "Where. Did. He. _Go?"_

"_Easy on the phone, man!_"

"Fair..." He warned, only once, but only once was needed.

"_Right. Hojo called and -"_

"HOJO?" There was a creak, then silence, not even the slight hiss of air to indicate there was another line. The General glowered at the PHS, then looked to Cloud. "We will be returning to the Manor."

"Sir!" Cloud nodded, sensing the urgency in his tone. He was surprised that the older male paused, regarding him thoughtfully.

"Have you made your decision?"

Cloud frowned, thinking it over. He supposed he had, really, made his decision long before he had spoken to his mother. He couldn't imagine not seeing this through, now that he knew everything he did, and besides... now that he _did_ know so much, would ShinRa _really_ let him go anyway? "I'm in."

The General smiled, despite his tenseness from earlier. "Well then, SOLDIER, welcome aboard."

"SOLDIER?" He blinked, confused.

"Consider it a field promotion." Sephiroth chuckled at his wide-eyed expression, offering a spontaneous handshake.

Numbly, Cloud accepted the warm handshake, a slow grin taking over his features as he realized what 'field promotion' meant. "You're _really _making me a SOLDIER? Seriously?"

"Seriously." He nodded, smiling faintly.

"Oh..." Blue eyes blinked as it registered. "I have to tell Ma!"

"I heard, honey." Loridia smiled broadly at her son, standing behind them with a picnic basket. "I'm so _proud _of you, I could just burst!"

Cloud blushed, bowing his head with an irrepressible grin. "Thanks, Ma... what's with the basket?"

"I had a feeling you'd be on your way soon, though I hadn't realized _this_ soon. I packed you some food and things to take with you." She patted the large basket with a beaming smile that made her son feel warm inside. "You take a quick look and see if you need anything else, all right?"

With a quick glance at the General to make sure he wasn't getting too impatient, the newly minted SOLDIER crossed over and opened the basket, seeing stacks of sandwiches and meat pies, tarts, and... was that a canister of soup? "Oh, Ma, this is _perfect. _Hey, do you have any of that tea you used to brew me when I got sick? My friend Zack isn't doing so well..."

His mother frowned, concerned. "Of course, hon. You just give me a minute..."

When Loridia disappeared back into the kitchen, presumably to find the tea, Cloud excused himself to go upstairs and retrieve the balance of his things. Not having been awake enough to even _think_ to bring his overnight bag with him the night before, he only had his uniform and equipment to worry about. Reaching for it automatically, the teen paused; gently touching the soft green scarf, he found himself realizing that this was a _trooper's uniform._ Which was all well and good - he had, after all, been enlisted in the army as a trooper. However, that was no longer his rank, even if the records still listed him as one.

He was SOLDIER now.

* * *

><p><strong>OMAKE<strong>

* * *

><p>It occurred to Hojo, some time after making his check-up call on his latest Specimen, that it wouldn't hurt to check up on his greatest experiment. Turning to his personal computer, he activated the program that would allow him to check on the various monitoring chips he had in place in his experiments.<p>

Specimen L was apparently all ready at the Reactor; he'd made good time.

Specimen S was...

… no longer transmitting?

An outraged squawk echoed through the labs as the Professor clenched his fists, glaring at the screen, daring it to continue to defy him.

And like all things related to that infernal child... it did. There was absolutely _no signal._ The chip was dead, and there was no knowing where he was now.

Dark eyes widened in dread. He could be anywhere in the world right now, and there was no knowing... plotting anything with those _failures_ of Hollanders.

Now more than ever, he was glad of his 'backup' plans. L may not have been the smartest specimen, but _he_ was loyal.


	12. Here Be Dragons

**DISCLAIMER: If I _owned_ it, it wouldn't be _fanfiction._**

**SHOUTOUT: To my amazing beta, LadyoftheDrow, who helps me - not only with grammar and proper phrasing, but also with the horrors known as 'fight scenes.'**

**ADDITIONAL SHOUTOUT: To CSKazaam, ****a fellow writer who gives _marvelous _feedback! Thanks, 'Kazaam!**

* * *

><p>Zack was panicking.<p>

If he really had been a puppy, he'd have been jumping around in circles, barking his head off, but as it was, the SOLDIER First Class was bouncing his foot enough to shake the bed until it creaked and muttering all sorts of nasty possibilities for what the General might do to him when he arrived. Rationally, he really ought to have known better, but rationality had flown out the window when he'd heard the level of '_someone-will-die'_ Sephiroth could put in one word.

_Hojo._ Wasn't it bad enough Professor Creepy had an agent out here to begin with? Did he _have_ to agitate their otherwise rational leader into a phone-wrecking-fury? Oh, he had _heard_ the dying squeal of the poor device, the crunch of metal in his gloved fist. It wasn't the first time that he had heard Sephiroth destroy something over a phone, though he was usually more careful with the devices on missions, as you couldn't go pick one up easily.

It told of just how upset he was, and Zack didn't look forward to seeing him again; a five-minute walk was not enough to calm him down from anger like that. "Ohhhhhh _shiiiiiiiiit. _I'm dead."

"You _will _be if you don't quit shaking the bed, puppy." Genesis hissed, peering at him blearily from under a crimson gloved hand. Upon receiving nothing more than a whimper, the swordmage rubbed said hand over his face, grumbling. "What is it?"

"I'm going to _diiiiiiiie,_" Zack moaned, flopping over dramatically.

Genesis snorted. _Great_. He was one of _those._"I'm fairly certain your illness isn't terminal."

"Nooooo... Sephiroth's going to _kill _me!" He seemed quite convinced of this, enough to make the Crimson Commander sit up and take notice.

"And why would Sephiroth kill you? He seems almost as fond of you as Angeal is." The Commander murmured, voice a bit stiff with disdain.

Zack blinked up at Genesis, looking off to the side and realizing that he'd landed on the older SOLDIER's legs. "You're awake?"

Azure blue eyes blinked at him, before darkening in annoyance. "Do you often have conversations with yourself, imagining you're talking to me?"

"No." Black spikes swayed a little as he shook his head.

"Then _yes, _idiot. I'm awake."

"Oh." Zack blinked. Then, like Bahamut slamming into him, he gasped and jerked up, pointing at the scowling Commander. "OH! You're _awake! _'Geal's gonna _kill_ me!"

"Not if I kill him first." Genesis muttered, trying to shift out from under the anxious puppy, looking about as he did.

Zack took advantage of his distraction to fumble through his inventory pouch, pulling out the mastered Seal Materia Angeal had given him. He was just about to cast - forget slotting it into his bracer, there was no _time!_- when a gloved hand tried to wrench it from his own. "Hey! Genesis! Come on, man! It's for your own good!"

"I will _not_ be put to sleep _again._" He hissed, struggling to get the green orb from the wide-eyed youth.

"Well, if you'd sleep on your own -" Zack grunted as a knee found his gut, suddenly and painfully aware that the Commander wore knee-high boots... with _buckles_. "- man, what _is_ it with you guys? Did they glue you into those boots? Maybe you'd sleep if you'd change into some pajamas!"

"I assure you, Fair, I'm _fine._"

"Yeah, but -"

"Just _give _me the damn materia!" He lunged for it, and Zack attempted to dodge. Unfortunately, the teen had run out of bed, and, with a yelp, tumbled backward off the bed.

The materia went flying.

Genesis pounced for it, only to be tripped up by Zack. He was in the middle of cursing the youth when he heard a sudden. "_Ahem._"

Zack looked up, hair a mess from tussling around with the Commander. "Oh! Sephiroth."

Genesis groaned, seeing the General with the materia in hand. There was no getting it now, _and _he'd made a fool of himself! Just how long had the silver-haired man been there? "Seph."

"Genesis. Zack." Sephiroth held the materia lightly, frowning at them. "I notice the Turks are also missing. Where has everyone gone?"

"Uh..." Zack blinked intelligently, blanking out at the edge of irritation in his superior's voice.

"They're at the Reactor." Genesis huffed, far from intimidated. "Hojo called, trying to get a hold of someone. He doesn't think we're here yet, and it seems someone _else_ is supposed to be. What do you know of a 'Specimen L'?"

"Nothing." Sephiroth's frown deepened. That wasn't _strictly _true. "I wasn't aware that Hojo had another project going, worth sending anywhere."

"Does it really surprise you that he has something secret going on?" Genesis asked, sitting up, untangling from Zack and finally getting to his feet. "Or merely that he has a secret project that he's let run free?"

"As 'free' as one gets from Hojo." The General muttered, too well acquainted with the 'madman' - as Vincent had aptly described him. Soft footsteps coming up the hall cut off that unpleasant train of thought, and he stepped to the side to let Cloud in, bearing the basket of goodies - including a now-heated thermos of soup. "Did you find the kitchen to be in working order?"

"It worked all right." Cloud nodded. "Seems someone had turned the power on."

"Apparently, Hojo was expecting someone to be here, other than us." Sephiroth noted, gesturing for Cloud to go through and set down the food on one of the nightstands. "The others have gone to the Reactor. Presumably to meet this person...?"

"Not quite. This 'Specimen L' is supposed to be 'retrieving' Jenova from the Reactor." Zack spoke up. "They're going more to stop that, I think."

"Reasonable. Whether we need more Jenova Cells or not, we _don't _need Hojo in possession of more." Sephiroth sighed, wondering why Hojo had sent someone to retrieve Jenova in the first place. What was the professor up to now? "SOLDIER Strife and I -"

"SOLDIER?" Zack brightened immediately, grinning at Cloud.

"Field promotion." Cloud murmured, not wanting to interrupt Sephiroth, but needing to explain.

"SWEET!" Zack fist pumped, and Genesis smirked in approval.

"SOLDIER Strife and I will be going to the Reactor as well, to confront 'Specimen L' and get some answers." Sephiroth finished. "Cloud's mother was kind enough to provide soup and medicinal tea for you, Zack. I expect you to consume both by the time we return."

"All right. What about -" There was a heavy thud, as Genesis sunk to the floor, unconscious. Zack stared in awe. "I didn't even see you cast!"

"Did you think I was going to _warn_ him?" The General asked, amused at the notion, handing the green orb back to Zack and picking up Genesis to deposit him on the bed. Asleep, without the lively animation of his personality shining through, it was easy to see that he suffered from exhaustion. The area beneath his eyes looked almost bruised from lack of sleep, little lines of stress and pain on his forehead, and around his eyes and mouth. Seeing him this way, it was easy to understand why Angeal had put him to sleep - indeed, he approved. "You have express orders to keep him asleep while we're gone, unless there is an emergency and he's needed."

"Uhh... ok." Zack grimaced, not looking forward to that; he'd rather go to the Reactor.

"Zack, where is your sword?" Sephiroth inquired, looking about the room.

Zack turned, looking by the bed, and frowned. It wasn't there. "Uh..."

"_Zack..."_

"It was downstairs." Cloud waved the sword a little, having set down the basket. When Zack went to reach for it, though, Sephiroth stopped him.

"No."

"But... it's _mine._" He whined a little, making Cloud chuckle, a small smirk on the General's lips.

"We're borrowing it." The silver-haired swordsman informed him calmly, resisting a grin at his open mouth stare. "Careful. You'll catch flies."

"But-but-but..."

"Take the sword, Cloud. We're going now." In a swish of black and silver, Sephiroth turned and was out the door.

"Uhm... sorry?" Cloud smiled sheepishly, but kept the sword. "Oh, drink the tea and eat the soup by the time we get back!"

"_Clooooud!"_ Zack wailed, but the spiky haired teen was quickly gone, leaving the puppy-ish First alone with the sleeping fiery one.

* * *

><p>"<em>HUH-ESSHUu!<em>"

The first time the sudden, booming sound was made, Reno had pulled his EMR, and Vincent had his gun trained on the source... just in time to see Angeal lower his hand sheepishly, sniffling a bit. Determining what had happened, the former Turk merely lowered Cerberus and returned to the cave trail.

The second time, Reno muttered incredulously to Tseng. "Am I supposed t'say 'bless you' - or 'duck and cover'?"

Tseng, leaning heavily on his subordinate as a sort of impromptu crutch, sighed without comment and watched the SOLDIER warily. It was one thing for _Zack_ to get sick... but Angeal? Perhaps he was being paranoid... it was just a couple of sneezes, if loud, for the usually quiet man. He'd keep an eye on him.

A few more minutes passed, before a soft groan and warning hitch of breath caught Tseng's attention; dark eyes darting back to the afflicted First, he saw him try to fight it off, only to collapse into a shuddering release that echoed sharply through the tunnel. For a moment he paused, leaning a hand against the wall as he caught his breath, then grimaced at the sticky sound it made. "Problem?"

"Mold." Angeal frowned at his glove, something pricking the back of his mind. Dismay flit across his features as he remembered, an answering tickle irritating his senses as he recognized what had been bothering him. "I'm... allergic... _HUH-ESSSH! __**HESSHU!**__"_

Reno blinked, watching the almost unfailingly-polite SOLDIER, _of course,_ move unthinkingly to cover his face with both hands. "Uh oh..."

The big man snuffled, and groaned, shaking his head a little as he got a face-full of allergen. Realizing his mistake, he pulled his hand away, but there was all ready a faint, red rash starting where his palm had been, and after coughing from his ragged breathing, he began sneezing again, frenetically.

Vincent, who had up until now managed to remain stoic, flinched slightly; dipping his face into the high collar of his mantle, brows drawn into stern lines above glowering crimson eyes, he turned and pointed his gun. Reno yelped. "Hey, hey, man! Let's not be rash, yo..."

The former Turk paid him no heed, hand-cannon pointed just at Angeal's head, firing as Reno protested -

- and three large, mosquito-like creatures came tumbling down.

The Turks, and miserably recovering SOLDIER, stared. Valentine nearly rolled his eyes. "They were likely drawn to all the... noise..."

A faint dusting of pink touched Angeal's cheeks, and he resisted the urge to rub at his nose. "I'll try to keep quiet, then."

Reno snorted. "Riiiiight."

"Reno." Tseng chided softly. "Let's move on. The sooner we get to the Reactor, the better for everyone."

* * *

><p>Sephiroth and Cloud made good time following the path of the others, though it was largely in quiet companionship. They had returned, belatedly, to see Zack and find out if he by any chance had a harness that would work for Cloud - which, by some stroke of luck or at least Zack's forgetfulness, he <em>did <em>have tucked away. He didn't bother to ask _why_ there was only _one _pauldron available, as that one had..._ interesting_ scratches on it, similar to _cat's claws_. For now, Cloud was content to wear the harness and sword with the single pauldron. It fit him, surprisingly, which gave him hope.

Moving along the path quietly, the pair originally started side-by-side. Lost in his thoughts, Cloud didn't notice right off when the General began to slow, until he had fallen behind. Turning to ask what was the matter, he noticed a distinctly distracted look in Sephiroth's eyes, slitted a bit as he gently had a gloved hand to his temple. "General, sir? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Sephiroth dropped his hand, a small, wry smile on his lips at his newly minted Third's incredulous look. Reluctantly, he confessed. "Stress headache."

Cloud nodded, able to believe that; from what he had gathered, the General was very close to his Firsts, or at least his top three, and to have none of them in very good condition had to be stressful. As if to top it off, there was a sudden, thundering roar. Cloud looked up just in time to see the massive shadow of a Nibel Dragon descending on him from a nearby outcropping. _Not good..._

Sephiroth had not been aware _how_ fond of the young Third he had become until he saw the dragon pouncing; heart lurching to a stop somewhere in the vicinity of his throat, he was frozen for several terrible seconds before time resumed and instinct took over. It was a little difficult to aim for anything vital when the creature wasn't even _facing _him, but thrusting Masamune through a hind leg was still enough to get a pained roar. He jumped back to avoid a swing of the dragon's tail, then leapt high, reversing his grip as he descended. He nearly landed wrong as it tried to turn, and felt his sword jerk as it glanced off a rib.

The beast lurched dangerously with a sound of falling stones, and he leapt away, practically tearing Masamune through muscle and scales. A gloved hand found purchase on the rough stone incline, and he looked back in time to see the dragon slip over the edge. Leaving him alone on the path...

This did not bode well. "Cloud?"

No response.

He frowned a bit, dropping down and looking around in concern for the young SOLDIER; surely... the dragon hadn't landed on him and dragged him off when it fell?

Despite the unlikelihood of that happening, he approached the edge of the path, where it dipped down, and peered over. The sight of golden spikes on a ledge just a few feet below was both reassuring and startling. "Cloud!"

"General, sir!" Cloud saluted, smiling up at him despite his slightly roughened appearance.

After a moment of assessing the distance and Strife's condition, Sephiroth knelt and offered his right hand. "Can you reach?"

"I _think_ so..." It actually took him standing on tiptoe, and a small hop, but he managed to reach the General's outstretched hand, getting pulled up. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome." Green eyes turned and looked back at the trail thoughtfully. "How long will it take to reach the Reactor from here?"

"Under an hour, provided there's no more... interruptions." Cloud noted, smiling wryly.

"Are dragons common in this region, then?" Sephiroth wondered aloud, having been curious; yes, he knew that the beast was native, but, how usual a sight it was he didn't know.

"Compared to the rest of the world, yes." At the inquisitive look shot his way, he elaborated. "These mountains are where non-flying dragons originated."

"I see." _It would be a shame,_ he thought, _to see them eliminated from their home._ "And have you run into them, then?"

"Never _quite_ so close..." The new Third chuckled. "But yes, I'm familiar with them from more than texts. Of course, normally you have to go out further to run into one... they tend to avoid humans and settlements."

"Hm. I wonder..."

They walked in silence just long enough for Cloud to apparently realize he wasn't going to elaborate. Curious, the teen prodded. "Wonder what?"

"What has brought it toward town." He stated the obvious, then, continued thoughtfully. "And why it would challenge _us._"

Unsaid was his surprise that it challenged _him_ without any apparent provocation. Most monsters weren't too inclined to go toe-to-toe with him anymore, and while the challenge was refreshing, it made him curious. Though, there was always the thought that perhaps it hadn't been after _him_ at all. Well, not until he'd shown himself a threat. Before that, it had seemed more interested in _Cloud._ Which brought to mind another question. "How did you catch yourself on that ledge?"

A blond brow was raised, seemingly in surprise at his question. "I would _hope _I'd catch it - that's what I was aiming for."

"You... fell… on purpose?" He couldn't quite wrap his mind around that.

"I had a dragon coming at me, and knew there was a ledge I could drop down on behind me; I consider it a strategic retreat." Cloud retorted.

"Of course." It was strange, the little things he'd found himself noticing about people lately. Perhaps it was Zack's influence, or perhaps it was simply that he hadn't properly appreciated his friends until he had almost lost them. In either case, he found himself, oddly, comparing Genesis and Cloud. On the outset, you wouldn't think the two alike. Cloud was, after all, quiet, respectful of his superiors, apparently practical, and straightforward. Genesis was... _Genesis._ A presence like no other, with very clear and obvious opinions that he was more than willing to share, known for his dramatics and charisma... and fiery temper. To all appearances they should have been complete opposites, yet, the more Sephiroth got to know Cloud, the more he was certain he and Genesis would make a good combination as student and mentor.

Cloud might be the only one he'd met with the spine to stand up to the fire-hurling swordmage, and was one of the precious few Genesis deemed worth his time. Though he was, as all three of the 'premier' Firsts were, very popular, and worked his charm on anyone he saw fit to, Genesis had a very small circle of friends that Sephiroth was aware of. He'd thought... well, he wasn't sure, but he'd liked to think that _he _was one of Genesis friends. After he'd deserted, he hadn't known what to think, especially once it became clear that the auburn-haired man had taken Angeal along... leaving him all alone.

Dimly, his head throbbed, and he sighed, shelving the troublesome reflections for now. Genesis had returned, of his own will. They would cure him, and he would mend their relationship as best he could. It was no use fretting over.

"What the hell?" Cloud's startled exclamation interrupted his musings. "Where... where's the _bridge?"_

"Bridge?" Sephiroth raised a fine brow, stepping up to the large chasm, enhanced eyesight detecting waving rope and hanging planks lying limp down the other side. "It would appear it has broken."

"But it's only five years old - practically _new!_" The teen sputtered. "What _happened?_"

Kneeling by the end that he could access, he examined the ropes, frowning slightly. "It seems that it simply wasn't strong enough."

"Not _strong _enough?" Cloud parroted incredulously.

"Apparently not." He rose, appearing calmer than he felt as he played the scenario of what must have happened through in his head. "Four grown men, plus Angeal's Buster Sword... it couldn't bear the weight and snapped."

His unease either showed, or the youth simply had excellent instincts as he chose to reassure him rather than fret more. "They'll be all right. I was."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There's lots more adventures to come, so keep reading. I update every other week, now, still on Wednesday. Can't remember that? Well, join the group that has "alerted" me, and keep informed! I'm planning on finishing this one! (LoTD will make sure of it!)**


	13. Den of the Beast

**DISCLAIMER: *siiiiiigh* No, I don't own it.**

**SHOUTOUT: To everyone who's been leaving me awesome reviews! I _love_ them. All of them. Thank you so much!**

* * *

><p>"You...?"<p>

"Fell. Yeah." Cloud rubbed the back of his spikes, smiling a bit ruefully. "I was nine, and came up here - well, it's a long story and doesn't really matter now. But, I was okay. So they should be fine."

Sephiroth nodded, somewhat relieved, as there was a bit of fog in the bottom of the chasm, obscuring it - he hadn't known how deep it was. But if a nine-year-old had survived, surely the others were all right... "Very well. We'll have to continue another way... the sewers perhaps... unless you know another way?"

"There's a cavern system throughout the entire mountain range... we can access it and find our way to the Reactor." Cloud paused, frowning.

"What is it?"

"You know Nibel Dragons can't fly, right?" He asked, continuing at the other's slight nod. "That's because they're cave-dwellers."

It took a second, but the implications sunk in, making the General frown. "I see. So we're likely walking into the very den of the beast."

"Exactly." There was no hesitation before Cloud started walking again. He had to admire that. There would not, after all, be any convenient ledges to 'purposefully fall' onto while underground.

Upon seeing where he was walking to, Sephiroth frowned. "There is no bridge."

"I realize that, sir. But, the entrance to the tunnels is down there." Cloud eyed the cliff side thoughtfully, moving slightly before starting down.

The General, too, appraised the cliff, and the distance to the ground below. The slight fog was a bit deceptive, however, if a nine-year-old boy could take the fall unprepared and walk away with no permanent damage...

He heard a startled yelp as he jumped past Cloud, and found himself smiling up in genuine amusement at the wide-eyed teen. "Yes?"

Cloud, realizing that he was fine and, indeed, had _jumped _- not fallen - narrowed his eyes. His mutterings were snatched away by the wind, but it was possible that he'd just accused his superior of being a showoff.

Sephiroth was amused.

The caves were unremarkable for the most part, but the pair traveled in silence once more nonetheless, neither wishing to draw attention to themselves. Cloud, on the one hand, had the ease of familiar territory to comfort him despite his lesser strength and experience, and was not concerned. Sephiroth, of course, had no need to be concerned, and wasn't, but not because of his significant strength. Fine lines creased the General's pale brow, his stress headache returning with a vengeance as the adrenaline died off.

A wordless shriek tore through his mind violently, filled with anger and desperation that did not belong to him. Flinching, Sephiroth stopped walking, hand raising to his temple and held there as the blinding pain overrode his senses. For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, he stood there, senseless with pain.

A soft touch to the arm slowly brought him back to reality. "-roth? General Sephiroth?"

An unintelligible sound, akin to a whimper, reached his ears - was that _him?_- Cloud's voice too loud in his ringing ears. It felt like his head was splitting open, and yet there was no relief. The pain, the shrieking

* * *

><p>"SHUT <em>UP!<em>"

Vincent flattened himself to the shadows at the sudden, furiously frustrated cry, crimson eyes darting toward the sound of something heavy hitting the ground and shattering.

Loose pants, form-fitting knit tee - both a deep plum - were accented with what he'd come to recognize as standard issue combat boots, gloves, pauldrons, and a thick belt marked with the symbol he'd seen on all four of the SOLDIERs. Was this a SOLDIER, then? Or perhaps, a prototype...? He looked unremarkable... a mass of pale blond hair and even paler skin, flushed unpleasantly with rage as he straddled a containment tube, beating it viciously until spidering cracks had trailed down the sides.

Narrowing his eyes, he attempted to see what was in the tube, familiarity tickling at the back of his mind. _Jenova..._ was that truly the creature that Gast and the others had unearthed, the one responsible for all this madness? And if so, wasn't L supposed to simply 'retrieve' her?

"What's going on?" Angeal pitched his voice as low as he thought Vincent could detect, having guessed from the crimson glow that the ex-Turk was enhanced.

Unfortunately, he'd underestimated L's enhancements, Hojo's latest 'experiment' looking up and narrowing vibrant eyes with a distinct, acidic green Mako glow and very familiar catslit pupils. "Who's there? Don't come any closer!"

Vincent was aware that Angeal was staring, stunned into immobility. However, he was not one to shy away, especially when the enemy was cornered. And something... something was urging him forward...

His eyes drifted up, to the deceptively still containment chamber, cloudy now from all the fractures in the thick casing, and oozing what he assumed was Mako.

His pulse sped up slightly as he took a step forward. Dimly, he could feel a burning sensation tingling along his back, and rolled his shoulders to ease it. Raising Cerberus, he lazily pointed it at the SOLDIER he presumed was L. "Step back."

"Don't be foolish." L snapped, taking an aggressive stance over the container, drawing a sword much like the one he'd seen Zack with - again, Standard Issue for SOLDIERs. "But you've made your mistake all ready, coming here. Now... I have to kill you."

A small smirk touched the former Turk's lips behind the collar of his mantle, and he shrugged. Let the boy try. He would subdue him, hand him over to Angeal, and then -

Movement.

His heart thumped as he saw something lash inside the tube with sudden violence, breath catching in anticipation of something he didn't understand.

'_Let me out.'_

Crimson eyes widened, and darted side to side in frantic search of the dark rasp he'd heard, both like and unlike his own. There was a hint of a growl, some primal, predatory instinct rising within him unlike anything he'd ever felt as he saw the container tremble.

He wasn't sure how he had. Even with his enhancements, his eyesight had never been so acute...

… Goddess, his back _burned..._

'_Let me out..._'

Time seemed to slow as his eyes drifted half shut, vision narrowing in on the containment chamber. _Jenova..._

'_The Calamity must be destroyed. LET ME OUT.'_

He could feel a burning rippling through him, over him, like licks of flame. His breathing slowed. His eyes closed. There was something... something was coming...

* * *

><p><em>Seph's eyes... he has SEPHIROTH'S eyes!<em> Somehow, Angeal knew this was significant. No matter the lengths he and Genesis had gone through to make their friend less self conscious of his differences, the fact remained, he had _never_ seen those eyes on _anyone_ but Sephiroth. Granted, these were brighter... far brighter... and a more lime green, compared to the almost icy, pale green of the General. But the similarities were too great to dismiss just because of the color differences. The slit pupil, for one, was something he'd never seen in any other human.

Of course, one might argue how human they were, after Hojo and Hollander's meddling... but the fact remained that they were human _enough._ They all had human parents, and aside from a few physical differences, _looked_ human. For now, it was enough.

A sudden flare of crimson light interrupted his musings, and he refocused on Vincent and L... or where he'd last _seen_ Vincent and L.

As the light cleared, it became evident that something drastic had happened. Vincent was gone. In his place, stood a winged humanoid... being... and L looked just as surprised as Angeal felt, perhaps a bit horrified as well. Before either SOLDIER could fully process the change, the being lunged forward, aiming - not at L - but down, at the containment tube.

It was at this point that everything started downhill. With a burst of raw energy, the cracks on the chamber deepened until it burst open, the creature - Jenova, presumably - emerging in a blur of damp blue and silver, trailing the preserving fluids everywhere.

Stunned, L looked in her direction, hidden behind a fallen metal doll, eyes wide in wonder. "_Mother..._"

A furious, unearthly shriek echoed through the room, painful for the two SOLDIERs. Then, another cry, this one panicked as the winged being took to the air and swooped toward her.

L gasped, surging to his feet unsteadily. "No! Mother!" A tell-tale flash of materia and soon the air hissed with thick ropes of electricity, crackling with thunder as he attempted to strike the airborne being. But it was Jenova who saved herself, flinging the doll at him and catching him by surprise. As he fell, L ran for her and pulled her protesting form to his chest, heedless of the dampness. "Come on, I'll get us out of here."

Gripping his sword firmly, the SOLDIER Second glowed blue with the beginnings of a limit break, and jumped up off the platform. There was a dreadfully familiar sound, a loud rustle of feathers, as a massive, inky black wing emerged. Unlike Genesis' wing, which was meant for flying high and fast, or his own two wings, meant to fly in short, powerful bursts, this wing was made for higher lift.

Predictably, up he went, soaring towards the wall with sword extended, a blue cone of energy beginning to form around it. Angeal almost went after him, even knowing he wouldn't catch up, but his eye caught another flash of crimson and was drawn to it in time to see the strange being transform. _Vincent!_

Knocked unconscious, perhaps by the doll, perhaps by the exertion of his transformation, the former Turk fell limply at a rapid pace. Judging the fall, Angeal quickly realized that even if he wasn't injured in the landing, he might be in danger of falling off into the Mako pit below.

Taking a moment to be sure of his footing, he jumped after him; catching him against his chest, Angeal narrowly avoided the pipe, wings spreading to lift him and beating to carry them back to the platform.

A screech and the smell of molten metal told him their quarry was escaping, and sure enough, looking up he saw the conical energy pierce the thick wall with ease, creating a hole big enough for L to escape with Jenova.

Sephiroth was _not_ going to like this...

* * *

><p>Having left Vincent and Tseng with Reno, who was likely to behave lest he deal with the currently foul tempered Tseng and the unknown variable that was Vincent, Angeal took to the skies to search for Jenova and L. What he found, however, were Sephiroth and Cloud emerging from the tunnels. "Seph?"<p>

"Angeal." The icy green eyes settled on him, something in them relaxing a little to see him seemingly well. "Where are the others?"

"At the Reactor."

"Status?" The General didn't _quite_ demand a report, but he was concerned.

"Tseng is injured. Reno's fine. Vincent... is stabilizing." He didn't miss the subtle flicker of those extraordinary eyes, and regretted worrying his friend when he was all ready worried about so many things. Still, it was best to be upfront.

"Injured in the fall, I assume." At Angeal's nod, he continued walking, a bit quicker with a frown. "What happened to Valentine?"

"He transformed in a confrontation with L... and... Jenova." Angeal couldn't help but note Cloud lingering, almost in Sephiroth's shadow, a flicker of anxiety on his fair features as the General halted, eyes narrowing.

Sephiroth, of course, was always aware, and made a simple gesture for the teen to relax, which he did, reluctantly, piquing the dark-haired First's curiosity further. But the moment to ask quickly passed, as he began walking again, swiftly, the other two walking a little faster than their usual strides to keep up. Much faster in Cloud's, but he didn't waver in his insistence in keeping close. Subtly eyeing the pair, he couldn't help but note a dusting of dirt on the youth's clothing... which, for that matter, was decidedly _odd._ A pale blue, not unlike a SOLDIER Third's, and... was that one of Zack's harnesses and - his _sword?_ "Sephiroth?"

Something in his tone must have betrayed him, a small smile curving the younger man's lips despite his mounting worries for the others. "Yes, Angeal?"

"Why..." Suddenly, it seemed terribly _rude _to ask why Cloud was in civvies, and couldn't he have borrowed the sword and harness simply to be safer?

Sephiroth didn't seem inclined to help him out, but Cloud was a bit more intuitive, guessing based on the flickered glances in his direction. "Field promotion, Commander Angeal."

The Banoran smiled at that, nodding. "Congratulations, then, Cloud, and welcome to SOLDIER."

"Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me Angeal." He smiled wryly. "We're going to be working together a lot, I think."

"I look forward to it." Cloud said honestly. And moved closer to Sephiroth.

Angeal frowned. Sephiroth raised a brow, curious. Cloud frowned, shifting a bit. No one spoke.

Finally, enough was enough. "What happened?"

Sephiroth tilted his head ever so slightly. "Pardon?"

"What happened?" Angeal repeated, unconsciously using the same, expectant tone he used with Zack, ready for anything.

There was a brief staring contest, blue eyes locked with green, before, surprisingly, Sephiroth relented with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Stress headache."

Intuition in the form of a _very_ incredulous-looking Cloud told Angeal this wasn't all. A dark brow arched, silently expressing his discontent with the answer. However, Sephiroth was not inclined to discuss it further, shrugging and moving on with the general comment. "I _do _get those."

"Oh come _on._" Cloud blurted, then clapped his hands over his mouth, mortified.

Pale green eyes turned to him, a single silver brow raised in a way that managed to be casual yet quite intimidating. At the same time, Angeal zeroed in on the new Third, sensing a source of further information. "You disagree?"

"Uhhh..." Blue eyes darted to the General nervously, and the teen swallowed his words.

It wasn't fair, but... "SOLDIER, I asked you a question."

"Sir!" Cloud snapped to attention. "He... was in a lot of pain, sir. He passed out, just for a little bit, but..."

"You _passed out?_" Well aware of his friend's significant pain threshold, Angeal was more than a little concerned. This wasn't a stress headache. Belatedly, still looking at Sephiroth in concern, he murmured. "Thank you, Cloud."

"Sir."

"At ease, Cloud." Sephiroth sighed, slanting an annoyed look at Angeal for his tactics; while he might've admired them under normal circumstances, even used them himself, that didn't mean he appreciated them used _against_ him. "The pain has eased completely, Angeal. You have my word."

Angeal didn't seem fully content, but he relaxed a little. "I want Rayleigh to look at you."

Sephiroth stiffened, his distaste for scientists, even the relatively innocent lady professor, evident in his rigid posture. "We shall see."

As they headed back to the reactor, Angeal noticed a distinct conflict in Cloud's behavior. On the one hand, he had relaxed from his stiff attention, but having seen him around Zack, he knew he wasn't _truly_ relaxed. The youth was easy to read, however, and it wasn't hard to determine that he was uncertain about where he stood with Sephiroth after having given in and 'tattled' on him. Of course, he hadn't really had a choice - bending to authority seemed rather ingrained in him, something Genesis would likely cure him of. Oddly, though, for all that he was uncertain, he didn't seem _uncomfortable_.

For most people being in Sephiroth's presence alone was unnerving. Cloud had taken that admirably well from the beginning, but it almost seemed like he was _more _relaxed with the General now, than he had been initially. How that had happened, he'd like to know - there was surely a story there - but now wasn't the time to ask. The Reactor had come into view, Tseng and Reno perched on the stairs, with Vincent just visible a bit above them, laid out on the landing where Angeal had left him.

"General Sephiroth." Tseng inclined his head in polite acknowledgement, dark eyes straying briefly from the tallest of the three to the shortest, taking in his unusual attire.

A blond brow arched, Cloud apparently noticing the attention. "Field promotion... is your leg broken?"

This time it was the Wutain Turk's turn to raise a brow, but, he supposed looking at the way he had it propped was a bit telling. "Yes."

"Damn bridge dropped us, yo!"

"It does that." Cloud agreed, getting a few odd looks but not elaborating.

Angeal couldn't help but smile at how willing the new Third was to speak up so freely in front of two Firsts and two _Turks. _Most SOLDIERs and Army were at the least wary of the Department of Administrative Research, if not too intimidated to give more than one-word answers. It seemed he would make a good addition to their little team.

A low rumble cut off whatever was about to be said, and Angeal tucked his wings away just as Tseng remarked that he hadn't expected a storm.

"That's not thunder." Cloud muttered, hearing more dark rumbles, blue eyes scanning around as he slowly went for his sword. The action did not go unnoticed by the others. Tseng found his gun as Reno palmed his EMR, Angeal casually resting a hand on the Buster Sword's hilt once he saw Sephiroth's left hand flex, readying to summon Masamune.

For a moment all was still.

Reno got antsy first. "What is it, yo?"

Sephiroth's lips curled in dark amusement. "Dragons."


	14. Only Human  Mostly

**DISCLAIMER: What? What do you _mean_ I don't own it? *wails***

* * *

><p>Zack was not amused.<p>

He'd been left to babysit the slumbering Commander, who he had a decidedly _awkward _relationship with to start, and was undoubtedly furious with him for his part in keeping him asleep. Having fought Genesis in a no-holds barred battle and watching him plummet to his presumed death - had he mentioned their relationship was awkward? - he knew he would usually win. Of course, that was before Sephiroth had talked Cloud into _stealing his sword._ Granted, he knew his sword might've had the awesome factor of belonging to THE Zack Fair, but wouldn't it have made more sense to take _Genesis'_ from _him?_ Instead of, say, leaving him with his best defense being a measly _SLEEP SPELL?_

He was not amused.

On the plus side, Kunsel had managed to send him a text... cryptic as ever, but he wouldn't be _Kunsel _otherwise. He'd share it with Sephiroth later, and get his opinion on what the Second might've meant. It was part of the reason Zack never deleted his friend's messages; he never knew if he'd missed some important implication. Kunsel was eerily intuitive. The Turks had really messed up, not recruiting him.

There was a soft shifting on the sheets from the bed nearest to where Zack lay, putting the young First on alert. Rayleigh had been given strict orders to stay in the lab, everyone else was gone, except -

"GENESIS!" He jumped instinctively at the blur of red vaulting for him, leaping off the bed just as the Commander landed on it. "Genesis, wait-"

"Give me the materia." The crimson-clad SOLDIER snarled, no doubt displeased to have failed his 'sneak attempt' at catching the other off-guard.

"Uhm... no." The teen shook his head. "No, I can't. Unless, you know, you want to hold it while you _sleep..._"

"Fair..." Genesis growled, flame licking at his cupped palm. "The materia. _Now._"

"Catch me first!" The teen flashed a wide grin, and sprung towards the door. Hitting something hard, Zack found himself bouncing back, wobbling before landing on his rear and blinking up at his scowling mentor. "Angeal! You're back... what happened to your _face?_"

He hadn't _really _thought it possible for this particular scowl to get worse, but lo' and behold, it did. Angeal touched the back of his hand lightly to his reddened nose, the skin around it and down to his chin looking red and inflamed. Grumbling something about mold spores - and strangely getting a laugh out of Genesis - he reached down to pull the teen back to his feet.

"Were you successful?" Genesis asked, tactfully distracting Zack for a moment.

"Not exactly." Angeal grumbled.

"'Not exactly'? What do you mean by 'not exactly'?" Genesis drew closer, azure eyes flicking over his oldest friend in concern, quenching his spell as he noted dark, drying spatters of blood on his uniform and skin. "What _happened?_""

"What do you mean?" Zack leaned around the Commander, eyes widening a bit. "Whoa... that's not all _yours _is it?"

"It's dragon blood." He plucked at his shirt a moment in distaste, before stopping himself.

"You got to fight a dragon?" Zack groaned. "Aw, why do I always miss out on all the fun? Did my sword get any action, at least?"

"Your... sword?" The auburn-haired man blinked in confusion.

"Oh, yeah... right after Sephiroth... uhhhh... that is, you were... _asleep_." The way Genesis' eyes lit at the mention was eerily reminiscent of a flame. Quickly, Zack continued in hopes of distracting him. "Sephiroth ordered my innocent little Spike to _steal _my sword!"

"You wouldn't lend it to them?" Angeal gave him a disapproving look.

"Well -"

"Wait, you wanted _Cloud _to use your sword - that flimsy little standard issue _prop_ - against a _dragon?"_Genesis squawked incredulously.

"_Well..._"

"Actually, he did an admirable job." Angeal noted. "I can't help but wonder if he hasn't had _some _instruction at some point..."

There was silence, before Zack let out a whoop. "All right, Spiky!"

Genesis was less impressed, pinching the bridge of his nose and huffing. "You mean to tell me, I give the boy a _mastered_ Fire Materia, and he points the first pointy object you give him at a _dragon?_Clearly, tactics will be the first thing we cover."

"Actually, sir, Nibel Greens absorb Fire." Cloud's soft voice startled the group, Zack peeking around Angeal as the youth continued calmly. "So do Desert Reds and Ark Dragons."

"Wow... Dragon expert, huh?" Zack grinned widely. "Impressive."

"There's not a whole lot to do out here, besides read and run from monsters." Cloud shrugged, an amused tilt to his lips.

"Reactor towns... yeah." The older of the spiky haired teens laughed.

"Small towns in general." Genesis noted wryly. "Well, I'm glad you were well-informed. I would have hated to lose a student before I could properly traumatize him."

"Genesis!" Angeal chastised, but only got a faintly teasing smile in return.

Cloud eyed the Commander warily. Zack almost reassured him Genesis was teasing... but really, he wasn't sure. The smile Genesis offered wasn't precisely reassuring.

"Where's Sephiroth?" Sensing that there would be nothing but trouble along that route, Angeal changed the topic.

"He's getting checked out."

"Willingly?" Genesis couldn't help but be incredulous at that; it was no secret that the General despised scientists and doctors alike - understandable, given his history, but it made things difficult on the rare occasions that the silver-haired man was hurt. "Is he conscious?"

"Yeah, he's awake, not too happy, though." Cloud noted, getting worried looks from Zack and Genesis both.

"What happened, Spike?" Zack prodded gently, concerned.

There was little resisting Zack's soft appeal, and Angeal was encouraging him with a nod. "He had a really vicious headache on the way to the Reactor... fully incapacitating for a little while. When he passed out -"

"_Passed out?_" Genesis and Zack spoke at once, stunned.

"_Yes._" Cloud couldn't help but get a little snappish. "Passsed. Out. Fainted - he was in a _lot_ of pain, and I don't care _how_enhanced he is - in the end, he's only human."

"Only human..." Genesis raised a brow. "Even now...?"

"Of _course_ he is! You don't just _stop _being human just because someone messed with your genetics. It's your soul and your mind that make you human, _not_ your body." The teen rolled his eyes, as if it ought to be _so_ obvious.

Zack had to agree, and sent his former mentor an 'I-told-you-so' look. Angeal sighed, wanting to end this before Cloud got any more riled. "I'm sure he'd appreciate the sentiment."

A soft touch to the shoulder seemed to pacify the teen, a little at least. Enough to end the subject for now. Genesis, sensing it was over, moved on to his next interest. "What about L?"

"He got away." Angeal frowned, disturbed. "He was in a SOLDIER Second's uniform, but no helmet. I didn't recognize him - but he wasn't overly memorable... except for his _eyes._"

"Too bright?" Zack guessed.

"No. They looked like Sephiroth's."

* * *

><p>Sephiroth was not pleased. He had managed to bring Tseng down to Rayleigh without incident, but Cloud had, inevitably, followed. Really, given his earlier blurt to Angeal, he should have thought twice about having the young blond along, but he'd adjusted to his presence. And he had <em>thought<em> the Third would have picked up that he did _not _want to be under the lady Professor's care, regardless of how well-behaved she had been so far.

This was not the case.

Cloud had not only told Rayleigh about his headache, but about the extent of his pain - in front of Tseng, no less! It might have been his resulting glower that had sent the youth skittering back upstairs, under the guise of checking on Zack. But really, he dared anyone to blame him after his 'childhood' under Hojo's tender care.

A soft hum from the Professor brought his mind back to the present. "What."

Rayleigh arched a brow. "You could at least _pretend _to be friendly."

The General smiled - more a predatory baring of teeth - before resuming his neutral expression. "I'd rather not."

"Apparently." She huffed; lacking all the proper equipment to do the examinations she'd deemed necessary, the Professor had managed to put together a sort of device using a Sense Materia in order to examine them better. At the moment, she was using it to scan the General to determine the cause of his migraine. "Well, this is strange, but all things considered, not the _strangest_."

An arched brow was as close as Sephiroth would come to expressing interest. Mild mannered, and possessing a _much_ better bedside manner than Hojo, the fact remained that Rayleigh was _still _a scientist and not to be trusted any more than they unfortunately had to.

Fortunately, she seemed to understand, and didn't expect anything different. "There's nothing wrong with you, aside from what seems to be the standard level of exhaustion around here."

Making a noncommittal noise, Sephiroth eyed the makeshift 'scanner' thoughtfully. "You're sure that _works?_"

"Haven't you used a Sense Materia?" A dark brow raised in challenge. "It will tell you anything you need to know, if you know how to coax the information out of it."

Green eyes narrowed slightly. "A dangerous thing, in the wrong hands."

"As are ties, or so I've heard." She flicked her gaze to Tseng, who was adjusting his. The Turk merely raised a brow, so she added wryly. "... and shirts, apparently."

A beat of silence preceded a scowl of Angealic-proportions. "You mock me."

"_Never._" She smiled sweetly, but there was a twinkle in her eye that told him she was not quite sincere.

No, he was not pleased.

* * *

><p>Vincent stared at his gloved hand, where the strange orb had once been. <em>Lucrecia...<em>

Seeing her, looking so _real_, had been breathtaking. He'd thought... well, Sephiroth had _said_ she wasn't confirmed dead. And he believed Sephiroth over Hojo any day.

Crimson eyes closed a moment, hearing her voice lingering in his mind like a caress. There was so much she'd said he didn't understand... but, he had her work with him now, on a diskette in his inventory. He would look into it as soon as he had access to a secure computer.

Pausing at the thought, he realized that somewhere along the line, he had made the decision already that he would not go back to his atoning slumber. At some point, he had become invested in this small group, though in no small part because it was headed by Lucrecia's beloved child. Perhaps as well, this was another, more active way, to 'atone' for his sins... he failed Lucrecia, but there was still time, for Sephiroth. And Sephiroth, clearly, wanted him around. Which meant back to Midgar, for now at least.

Leaning against a bookshelf, he pondered the thought. Midgar... it had become somewhat of a home, after a while. The Turks were home... he wondered if they'd ever looked into his death, or if Hojo was simply too influential to investigate it thoroughly.

With such wonders on his mind, the former Turk wandered toward the back rooms where Rayleigh had moved her treatment station to, and now had Tseng and Sephiroth at her mercy. Pausing, he heard the Silver General's deep, smooth baritone. "- suppose it _was _rather odd."

"What?" Rayleigh sounded curious. He moved closer, able to see a bit of Lucrecia's son; the resemblance at an angle was striking.

"I heard a piercing shriek, before I lost consciousness."

_Lost consciousness? _Crimson eyes widened, the remainder of the conversation blanked from his mind by sheer shock. Granted, he did not know much of Sephiroth, but even warriors without genetic tinkering were not often prone to such things. It stood to reason, he would be less so.

'_SHE was too much.'_

Vincent blinked. That _voice._He'd heard that voice, back in the Reactor... he'd thought, well, he'd assumed it was a hallucination, but it was as clear now as then.

'_Listen. I speak truth. The Calamity MUST be destroyed.'_

_The Calamity?_ His mind whispered the title softly, testing the weight of it. Unbidden, the image of the blue-skinned creature in the containment tube - he wouldn't quite go so far as say 'woman' - sprung to his mind. _Jenova?_

'_Yes. That one must be destroyed.'_

"-tine?"

He felt the presence slipping away, and frowned. _Who are you?_

"Valentine?" He ignored the summons, pressing again to _know._

The sensation of a smile that was somehow anything but comforting, and a flash of gold. _'Chaos.'_

"Vincent!" Sephiroth's deep voice finally cut through to him, and the crimson-eyed marksman jolted to awareness. The two men stared at each other in silence for a long moment, the younger evaluating his raven-haired elder thoughtfully. "What happened?"

Vincent looked away. Anyone else, he could have ignored. Would have. But when Sephiroth looked at him that way, he saw _her,_ and he was lost. "..."

"_Vincent._"

"Jenova...is sentient. She seems to be able to ... communicate mentally with those who carry her cells." The gunner informed them quietly, saying nothing of Chaos.

The implications were not lost on the General, to say nothing of the others; he could see the realization in his eyes, and splashed across the professor's face behind him. Tseng was the first to find words, however. "He heard Jenova scream."

"What, exactly, happened at the Reactor?" Rayleigh demanded.

"I was incapacitated for part of the time." Vincent noted, when all eyes moved to him. "It would be best to ask Commander Hewley."

"Yes, Angeal mentioned that." Sephiroth wasn't to be put off. "But, you were conscious in the beginning of it."

"... yes." He admitted slowly. After a pause, and a prompting look from the General, he capitulated. "The one we can assume was 'Specimen L' caught my attention from an inner chamber. He was shouting for someone to 'shut up' and struck Jenova's containment unit with enough force to damage it."

"Was there anyone else present?"

'_No._' "No." He wasn't sure he trusted this... _Chaos_, but his senses agreed - no one had been there aside from their group, L, and Jenova. "He was apparently speaking to Jenova."

"Then he shares her cells." Sephiroth murmured.

"He has your eyes." Vincent noted softly, watching in fascination as said eyes dilated slightly, before being hidden by one of his long silver locks. "Brighter, but undoubtedly similar."

"Did he show any other similarities to the General?" Tseng inquired, when it became evident that said leader wasn't ready to comment yet.

"No. He was blond, short-haired and fair skinned... of relatively common stature and features, though clearly enhanced." He frowned in thought. "L wore a uniform, not unlike SOLDIER Hewley's, in a shade of plum."

"SOLDIER, Second Class." Sephiroth identified quietly. "It sounds like the standard uniform. What else occurred?"

"Jenova was... _upset, _and broke free of the unit. I remember advancing towards where... it was... and then everything went black."

'_You know what happened.'_

_No. _Vincent dipped his head a little, hiding his unease in the cover of his mantle at the return of Chaos' dark voice.

'_You know._'

_No, I don't._ He protested vehemently, frantically wondering at his sanity, to be arguing with - if Lucrecia was to be believed - a being whose very presence heralded the approaching _end _of the world.

'_I was there.'_

* * *

><p>There it was <em>again<em>. Sephiroth watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as Vincent fell silent, and seemed to drift off into his own world. He had called him, by name, twice, and just as before, was met with no reaction. The former Turk stood rigidly, just within reach, eyes downcast but still somewhat visible. Enough to catch his attention, as, just like before, his pupils fully contracted and his eyes _shimmered _with a strange luminescence. One that _did not _match the shade Mako had already altered them into.

Frowning, Sephiroth contemplated the strange red eyes - as unique as his own. Mako enhancement produced varying shades of blue, usually, and a glow. An abundance of live J-cells _in addition_ to Mako, were what he presumed produced the catlike green of his and apparently, the man known as L. As Vincent possessed neither blue nor green eyes, it was safe to say his 'tampering' had been of a different nature. _What, though,_ he wondered, _is going on to make them change?_

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyon<em>e,<em> hope you're all enjoying AW! There's much more where this came from, so stick with me.**

**In the mean time, though, I'd like to toss out an invitation to you all, my beloved readers. You see, there is a Crisis Core fansite and RP forum in the making, and I want you - yes YOU - to be a part of it. Interested in details? PM me, and I'll gladly send you the information required. We're looking for quite a few canon characters still, as well as OCs, and always open to new fan content! Hope to see you there!  
><strong>


	15. Life and Death

**DISCLAIMER: Nope! Still don't own. *le siiiiigh***

* * *

><p>A sudden beam of light, produced by a small penlight, was what finally drew a reaction from Vincent. A half step taken back, just enough to raise his gauntleted hand, fingers spread threateningly as he squinted at Rayleigh. The Professor raised a brow, clicking the light off. "Welcome back."<p>

"I... apologize." He murmured into his collar, crimson eyes averted.

"Hm." That sound had the forcibly-retired Turk's gaze flitting back to her face suspiciously. He knew that look, even without knowing Rayleigh. It seemed to be a common expression amongst the science types.

It did _not _bode well.

A small, but strong hand wrapped around his forearm with care, and a grip tight enough that was not easily shook off. Deft fingers ran over the metal, exploring the seams with quick efficiency until she found what she sought. She pulled at something, then gave the gauntlet itself a firm tug that had it all but falling off his arm.

He stared at the bronze weapon in surprise, watching her examine it a moment, and feeling strange without it after all this time. He almost protested when she set it aside behind her, having brought over her rolling tray. Then, however, she picked up an odd looking device with a yellow materia slotted into a position at the top, with what he assumed to be a screen placed at the side. For all his time around Lucrecia, he'd not seen such a thing. Granted, there were bound to be advancements in science since his time, but this looked nothing like anything he recognized. "What is that?"

An amused smirk touched the lady Professor's lips, and she activated the device, the materia glowing softly. His eyes widened a touch, hearing the soft beeps of it processing information. Before he could demand she stop... whatever she was doing... the materia ceased glowing. Apparently, its task was done.

"Goddess..." She breathed, blinking slowly at the screen, then peering up at Vincent, incredulous. "How... how are you alive?"

"One might debate that term." He mused darkly. "I distinctly remember the feel of death."

"Your Sustained Blood Mako Level rests at approximately fifty percent." At his continued blank stare, she elaborated. "SOLDIERs are enhanced with Mako - I'm sure you know this. For a beginning SOLDIER, the Sustained BML is five percent. It raises five more percent per class - ten for Seconds, and fifteen for your average First. The highest recorded stable percentage is thirty seven percent - thirteen percent lower than you."

A dark brow rose, and Sephiroth spoke up softly, green eyes appraising the gunner. "In other words, you should be dead. At best, the concentration of Mako and your blood is even. In most cases, you would have died before even coming close to that."

"That you're alive is a miracle, that you are functioning at all, especially with your severe malnutrition, should be impossible!" Rayleigh exclaimed.

"Malnutrition?" Sephiroth glanced his way, and he resisted the urge to glower at the room in general for their staring.

"You go twenty-three years without eating. See how you fare." He grumbled irritably.

Rayleigh narrowed her eyes at his commentary, unamused, and turned to regard the General. "He'll be staying with you after this, I presume?" A nod. "Good. I'll make sure to send you a dietary regimen to ensure he follows."

Growling under his breath at the condescending treatment - he was not a child, damn it! - he brushed past her to snatch his gauntlet from the tray. "Don't you have a Commander to harass?"

"It would be best to see to Genesis." Sephiroth agreed, after a pause. "No matter how worrisome Vincent's readings are, the fact remains, he is not only living, but seems to be doing well enough."

It was unsaid but clear: Genesis would die without help, and was a priority. Vincent understood, and admired the loyalty and compassion of Lucrecia's child. "I will get him."

Heading upstairs swiftly, he found the remainder of their group settled in the bedroom at the other end of the manor, and waited quietly in the doorway for a moment, assessing. Angeal and Cloud he had seen not long ago, so his focus lingered first on Zack - still looking a little under the weather, but much improved - and then on Genesis. The Crimson Commander was animated as he talked, but it was easy for his trained senses to note such details as the exhaustion in his eyes and the lines of pain around his mouth and forehead. Yes, it was good that they were taking care of him now. "Genesis."

Silence fell over the room, the SOLDIERs startled by his silent presence. Genesis recovered first, grimacing as he somehow seemed to know what was coming. "Has Rayleigh finished, then?"

"Presumably. You are to come down now." He turned to head back, assuming - correctly - that even if Genesis didn't want to come, Angeal would see to it that he did.

Four sets of footsteps followed, none of the SOLDIERs wanting to be left out of this critical moment. They met with Reno on the way down, the fiery-haired Turk returning from his patrol around the manor. "What's with the looks, yo? You're all serious."

"Just going to determine if I'm going to live or not, Turk. Nothing 'serious.'" Genesis retorted flippantly. "_There is no hate, only joy._.."

"Loveless, Act Two." Sephiroth smiled faintly as the group filed in, eyes fixed on the red-clad Commander. "Are you ready?"

"What's there to be ready for?" He shrugged, feigning an air of indifference. It wavered, slightly, seeing the syringe in Rayleigh's hand.

This was it.

Genesis was directed to sit on one of the beds, and remove his duster. The injection would be going directly into his veins, as if it were a simple Mako booster.

No one was able to pretend this was so simple.

There was a collective holding of breath as Genesis was slowly injected with the combination of Mako, and the live J-cells mingling with Sephiroth's. Rayleigh watched him intently, keeping her scanner on him to monitor any subtle changes.

A low growl echoed through the room. Vincent, recognizing the timbre, went still and looked around.

No one else was reacting.

The growling grew louder.

Still, the SOLDIERs - even the other Turks - remained... motionless. Too motionless. Vincent looked around, startled to realize everyone seemed almost frozen in time.

'FOOLS!'

The booming snarl had him pulling his gun, just as Chaos appeared in a flash of red. He stared, fascinated and somewhat afraid, as the winged being came forward. There was... an eerie resemblance between it and himself, perhaps hinting at their joined existence. But, now was not the time to contemplate it. Chaos was advancing on Genesis, fury written on his pale features, gold eyes blazing. "Chaos!"

The being paused, half turning to face him. 'Vincent Valentine. Her taint spreads... you allowed this. The Faithful will _suffer_.'

Time snapped back into place, and Chaos vanished from sight.

Crimson eyes locked onto Genesis - assuming he was the one in danger - and was amazed by the change. Honestly, he hadn't expected it to take effect so quickly. The Commander's skin had smoothed, no longer patchy and flaking, and his hair was slowly darkening to its natural auburn shade. He looked relieved, and that relief traveled through the younger SOLDIERs.

"You're all right, then?" Sephiroth murmured, resting a hand lightly on the Banoran Commander's shoulder.

Genesis' eyes widened a fraction, flicking between the General's hand and face. His voice was soft, as if afraid to break the moment. "It would appear so."

A soft, genuine smile, achingly familiar, appeared on the silver-haired man's lips. Vincent found himself staring in wonder, not sure where he recognized the expression from, as it wasn't quite Lucrecia's. He could tell, from Genesis' reaction, Sephiroth was not one to smile easily. He hadn't seen such an expression himself, until now.

Genesis' smile in return was one he recognized, in a way. The look of a man who had escaped the claws of death, not necessarily unscathed, but with a new appreciation for life. He breathed deeply with a quiet, almost giddy, laugh and shook his head. "So much to do now..."

"Now?" The Firsts echoed each other, and laughter was shared. It was a surprisingly good feeling, the stress of not-knowing if Genesis would be all right dispersing, and the warning from Chaos was dismissed.

When the laughter died down, Genesis made a gesture toward Cloud. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Me?" The Nibel blond looked curious.

"Yes. Now that we know I'm not dying," a wry smirk touched the Commander's lips at the word, "would you do me the honor of being my apprentice?"

Cloud seemed to consider it, before nodding. "Once you get reinstated?"

"Come hell or high water." Genesis corrected. "I'll train you, if you'll let me. Whether or not ShinRa takes advantage of that, is another issue entirely."

Zack let out a whoop, half-tackling the other teen in his joy. The others laughed, and Vincent allowed himself a small smile, hidden behind his collar.

'You failed.'

Crimson eyes widened abruptly, the deep rasp startling him. What?

'Goddess and Calamity cannot exist in one.' Chaos rumbled. 'They will tear him apart.'

A sudden, soft coughing cut through the laughter. Various eyes went to Zack. The teen was fine.

"Genesis?" Sephiroth's voice caught their attention, and redirected it to the Commander, just as Rayleigh's device started to shrill. Trying and failing to gasp out words, Genesis gripped the alarmed General's sleeve like a lifeline, a dribble of black escaping his mouth as his eyes fluttered and rolled back. "Genesis!"

Vincent watched, feeling a cold coil of dread settle into his gut as the Red Commander passed out into the Silver General's arms. Chaos' voice was just as cold and unforgiving.

'You failed.'

* * *

><p>She wasn't humming anymore.<p>

The sudden silence in the old church was unnerving enough to make Kunsel lift his head from where he was working, peering about. "Aerith?"

The flowergirl knelt amidst her blossoms, green eyes wide and unseeing of what was around her. Her expression, blank at first, slowly became more and more horrified as she slipped deeper into the images that pressed her mind.

The Second rose, and approached her slowly. "Aerith?"

"She can't hear you." A black-suited figure stepped into the church.

"Director Veld!" The SOLDIER was startled to see the Turk's leader under the Plate, but remembered that the seemingly ordinary teenager was, in fact, the last known remnant of the Cetran race. Naturally, the Turks kept a close eye on her - usually Tseng, Reno, or Cissnei - but with two of the three gone it was within reason that the Director might do the job himself. "What's going on?"

Dark brown eyes shifted to him, clearly weighing the idea of answering him directly. "You shouldn't be here."

"I mean less harm to the little Cetra than you." Kunsel pointed out, enjoying the slight tic his comment provoked from Veld. "Now, what's going on?"

More silence. He was almost - _almost_- as bad as Rude, sometimes.

Aerith whimpered, whispering words he didn't understand as she clutched at her head, wisps of hair beginning to escape her braid.

Knowing Zack would have his head if she had some sort of meltdown on 'his' watch, he began to pace nearer to her. "You know, I'm guessing the Planet isn't happy. That's what she talks to, isn't it?"

"... yes." Veld admitted softly, coming near. "You know much."

"Yeah, yeah. I keep my ears open and my mouth shut." Kunsel found a path over to Aerith, just in time to see her eyes uncloud, wide and terrified. "Aerith? You with us?"

"He's dying." She whispered, looking at him tearfully. "She's killing him."

"He who?" Kunsel asked urgently. "Who's dying, Aerith?"

"The Faithful!" The younger teenager had tears rolling down her cheeks, dripping onto the flowers in her distress. "They thought to cure him of the damage Her influence had already wrought... but I don't understand why... why would they turn to Her to heal him?"

"'Her' who?" Kunsel asked, the beginnings of dread stirring within him uneasily.

"The Calamity... they've awakened the Calamity."

"Jenova?" Veld murmured, earning a quick look from both teens. Still, Aerith nodded. "Where?"

She was silent a long moment, then, "the dragon mountains."

Veld looked somber, as if his suspicions were proven true. Unfortunately, he wasn't wanting to share, so that left Kunsel to think, absently patting the crying girl on the shoulder. Dragon... mountains...? There were four mountain ranges... dragons, however... Ark dragons in the 'mines... Dark and Blue dragons in the North... and Green dragons in the Nibel range...

Behind his helmet, the Second's eyes widened. Nibel? Whipping out his PHS, the SOLDIER checked the pingback for Zack's location on his last message.

Nibelheim. They were in Nibelheim... near a mountain range crawling with dragons.

He didn't believe in coincidences. Not when the Planet got involved. Rising, he addressed the distressed Cetra, knowing the Director would overhear. "Aerith, I've got to go. I don't know what I can do... but I'll try."

"They have to bring him to where the Lifestream is the strongest." She urged, letting him go. "He can't die..."

What was he supposed to say to that? No life was guaranteed, not with ShinRa breathing down on all of them. Of course, the girl didn't know - couldn't have known - about their small band of rogues within the Company, not in detail. She knew what the Planet told her, apparently, and what little she could glean between the Slums, Zack, and the Turks. It made him wonder, though... why was she so frantic?

Getting on a train to head to the Upper Plate, Kunsel perched on a seat and gave the matter some thought. Aerith didn't know who the person was - if she did, she would have given a name, instead of merely saying the Planet's name for them. 'The Faithful' was an interesting moniker for a SOLDIER - because, it had to be Angeal or Genesis, from further description. They were the ones who needed 'cured' and it made sense that Rayleigh might try using Jenova to do so, at least to his understanding. She'd vented to him about it before, and while he hadn't followed it completely, he'd been a bit unnerved by what he'd heard.

Sephiroth, he had known, was nothing but a 'specimen' in Hojo's eyes. Most people were. However, he'd hoped for better from Hollander, especially back when the man was a prominent figure in the Company. Sadly, it seemed Amber Rayleigh was the only one who wasn't in favor of further human experimentation.

More than that, she didn't want to be his next experiment, as apparently Professor Hojo was not above using even civilians in his cruel and unusual projects; as long as he had the President's favor, he would not be taken down without dire consequence.

Reaching ShinRa Tower, he headed for the roof quietly, on guard even though his mind was still racing. Aerith came to mind again. Tearful. Frantic. Was that how the Planet felt? Whose pain echoed through the Lifestream, causing a panic at the thought of their death? Angeal and Genesis were both in danger, but he hadn't thought the Planet itself would notice them, no matter their fame in the realm of men. Clearly, something more was at stake here. It was enough for him to know that treatment had backfired and one of the Commanders was in jeopardy.

Settling on the roof, Kunsel quickly tapped into the ShinRa Mainframe, using the Tower's signal to boost his own PHS' abilities for long-distance communication. It offered the sort of security that was normally only available to the Turks. They, after all, were the President's private protection; it stood to reason, they'd get the good stuff first.

Of course, there were reasons Zack called him 'the SOLDIER's Turk' - his ability to get his hands on such technology via hacking, contacts, or outright stealing, just one of them. Smirking a little at the thought, Kunsel dialled in one of the numbers he'd lifted off Zack's phone. Sephiroth.

…

…

…

"_Your call cannot be established. Please ensure you dialed correctly and try again. If you continue to have difficulties, please call …"_

He frowned at his phone, wary. There were only so many reasons a call would fail to connect, and even less using this particular means of transmitting. Either there was powerful interference, a programming error, or the phone - which was Firsts' grade 'heavy duty' to survive enhanced strength - had been destroyed.

None of the options were particularly good - they meant he couldn't contact Sephiroth, and couldn't tell him about Aerith's breakdown and instructions. Which could quite possibly result in either rogue Commander literally getting KIA.

On the plus side, he realized abruptly, if he couldn't contact him... neither could Hojo. Suddenly, the Professor's rage at the technicians made much more sense.

* * *

><p>They had used Her. The ones that called themselves Humans had locked Her away, like their ancestors before, but their prison had not held the threat that the Old Race had, buried deep in an icy grave. She could have broken free at any time, once She had awakened. She had not, because of the Promise. She had been promised a Son, by the apprentice of the one who had tried to lock her away.<p>

For years, She had felt Him, so far away, yet so very strong that She thrilled with pride. He was worthy.

When He came, She thought the Reunion had come, feeling Him nearing Her. But the Other had come. One of Her children, yes, but not Her perfect Son. She did not want any others, and had told him so. The only reason he lived was he came to his senses, calling Her 'queen' and 'mother' with eyes that adored Her. But She had made sure he would remember not to lash out at Her. Ever. Again.

She had moved to the mountains, to think and recover. She had felt Her Son, down below, and called to Him. Something within Her had stirred, as if He had been calling back. She'd reached out, finding Him weak, and went to soothe Him.

Then, She'd realized, it was not her Son. With horror and rage, She had recognized the feel of one of the Golden One's people.

She would see him dead.


	16. The Faithful Mage

**DISCLAIMER: Hm? No, still not mine.**

**SHOUTOUT: Everybody thank LadyoftheDrow - I've been so busy lately, I totally forgot today was posting day. XD This chapter getting out is totally thanks to her.  
><strong>

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><p>Sephiroth stared down at Genesis uncomprehendingly. Just moments ago, he'd been laughing with them, looking like his old self again. Now... now he was collapsed against him, held only by the strength of the one he'd called 'rival' as his own strength failed him. Dark ichor stained his lips from his coughing spell, and pain was written deeply into his pale visage as he trembled. Slowly, yet far too quickly, he was regressing - worse, even, than he had been before. Dimly registering Angeal's panic, he decided that this was a more aggressive, advanced case than he had seen.<p>

It was entirely possible, the logical side of his brain noted, that Genesis would not live through this.

The thought was unbearable. Holding Genesis carefully, he snapped his glare up at the Professor, focusing through the roaring in his ears. "_Do something!_"

Rayleigh jumped, startled, blinking up from her device. "General, his body is _rejecting_ the live J-cells - but they keep _multiplying _so fast, it can't kill them all."

"I don't care _what's _happening, or why. I want to know if you can _fix it._" Angeal's hand on Sephiroth's shoulder calmed him slightly. At least so he was no longer _snarling._

"I..." An uncertain look at the monitor of her scanner elicited an audible snarl from him, making her all the more uneasy.

He was about to light into her when Cloud's voice cut through the unsettling silence. "Zack! Where's your Regen?"

"Huh?" A confused look and tilt of the head earned an exasperated sigh from the blond.

"_Zack. _Regen. NOW." The youth actually snapped his fingers at him, making the elder teen yip in surprise and begin rifling through his inventory.

Producing the green orb with a sound of triumph, Zack handed it over, following Cloud to Genesis' side. "What -"

"With Regen, we can speed up his healing, and temporarily stop the degradation." Cloud explained tersely, checking the materia. "In other words, we can buy time for Professor Rayleigh to think of something."

Looking at the teen with new appreciation, Sephiroth watched him cast, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sudden lessening of the lines of pain on Genesis' face. At least _someone_ was thinking. "Excellent work, Cloud. When you tire from re-casting, give the materia to me."

"Yes sir." Cloud knelt beside the bed, seeming to assess Genesis closely before looking satisfied. "I can keep it up a while, I think."

Shifting Genesis to better lay against him, Sephiroth caught sight of a flutter of red, Vincent leaving back the way he had come. He didn't try to stop the former Turk, nor did he say anything when Zack tugged a distraught Angeal out toward the main caverns. It might be best to spare him the sight of his childhood friend suffering so.

He, however, would not leave for anything. It may have been a fluke, but when Genesis had latched on to him, looking up at him in fearful realization his protective instincts flared to life once more. The Crimson Commander, ever the independent one, _needed_ help - and had turned to _him._

He would not turn him away.

* * *

><p>It was amazing, really, how much MP Cloud was able to eek out of himself. Under other circumstances, without his mentor's life on the line, he'd have been pleased. As it was, he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't doing <em>enough.<em>

Especially when the General banished him to go rest.

_Rest? Seriously?_ Cloud snorted as he wandered back into the basement library. How did he expect him to do that, worried as he was?

Sighing, knowing better than to come back for a while, he began to browse the shelves. So much of it was science-related babble, he quickly felt overwhelmed. Skimming over them, though, he found something... oddly out of place.

_A _storybook?_ Here? _Cloud reached for the thick text, the faded green cover and silvery-white lettering calling out to him. It was a copy of a book he had read as a child, full of Nibel lore. Pulling it out, he was surprised to feel it was unusually light, and cracked it open.

The book opened neatly in the middle, and blue eyes widened in further surprise to see about a third of the book was hollowed out, with a plain diskette and a few folded papers lying in the empty slot. He'd heard of these - book safes, he thought. They usually contained something valuable in some way. Looking at the diskette, he noticed a single letter scrawled on it in pen - _G._ Wondering about it, but not wanting to go locate a computer just yet, he scanned the papers.

The mention of 'Specimen G' caught his eye, and he slowed his reading to better grasp what looked to be handwritten notes, in the same odd scrawled script.

… _Specimen G was sired... discovery of Ancient ancestry... cannot use live cells in further breeding of the Specimen's sire but... dead J-cells... stagnant... Mako... three children lived through infancy and will be inducted into... the Deepground Project, to brace for inevitable rebellion of... _

Feeling something like eyes watching him, Cloud snapped the book shut instinctively and peered around, unmoving. Seeing nothing, he frowned. Someone - _or something - _was there. He just couldn't see it. "Hello?"

There was a long pause, before the shadows showed the depth of a person. Or, well, he _assumed._ The silhouette had a head, and feet, but there was a bulky shape in between, like something draped... _oh_. "Mr. Valentine?"

"... Cloud." The crimson-eyed man stepped into the library, deliberately letting his eyes flick to the book in the teen's hands and back to his face in silent query.

"Oh!" The Nibel blond paused, hesitant; on the one hand, he didn't know the former Turk... on the other, from his observations said man was in the same boat as the Commanders - experimented on and left to rot by ShinRa. He _might _understand this... "General Sephiroth sent me to rest, but I couldn't so... I came in here. This book looked like pretty much the only one I'd be able to read - actually, I've had it read to me before, when I was little. Ma had a copy."

Valentine made a soft sound, mostly just acknowledging what he'd said. His ruby eyes were unreadable, so Cloud pressed on. "It had papers in it... I think they're about Genesis, but I can't read it very well..."

The former Turk moved closer, holding out a hand for the book and papers. His eyes narrowed slightly, seeing the messy script spidering across the page. "No wonder. It's Hojo's."

"_Professor_ Hojo?" The teen clarified; though, he didn't _know_ any _other _Hojo... it was still good to be sure.

"One and the same." As he read the page, something strange happened. His eyes, normally the shade of red wine, began to flicker with a golden light, as if looking at a candle through colored glass. He would have attributed it to the odd overhead lighting, but somehow he was _certain _that wasn't it. Valentine's deep voice stirred him from his thoughts. "You have a disk?"

"Yes." For a moment, their eyes met and both were still, assessing. _You can trust him_, his instincts seemed to say.

Who was he to argue?

He handed over the disk wordlessly, but yelped when Vincent turned and walked out of the room. "Hey wait! Where are you _going?_"

"There's a computer in the side room." He was informed, without the elder man stopping - or even _pausing_- for him to catch up.

"Whatcha need a computer for, slick?" Reno asked, meeting them in the main cavern and coming into step with Cloud. He raised a brow when he was shown the disk. "'G' as in... _Genesis?_"

"That's what we're going to find out." Cloud noted, slipping into the room behind Vincent, surprised to see the computer was online. "Wait... wasn't that off?"

"I had something to look into." Valentine murmured, inserting the disk and waiting to see what it contained.

"Project _G._" Reno read over his shoulder. "Project Genesis, huh?"

"Project _Gillian._" The former Turk corrected, entering a password when it asked for one and smirking faintly when it granted him entry to the files.

"Gillian?" The red-headed Turk blinked, surprised - and impressed - as he watched him work through the files until they yielded results. "Hewley's mom?"

Sighing softly, Valentine tapped the claw-tips of his gauntleted hand on the desk, looking back at him. "Space."

Seeing that Reno _wasn't_ getting it - or was trying to push his luck - Cloud tugged him away from Vincent. "What have you found?"

"Hojo's copies of the 'Project G' files... Hollander's work." He frowned slightly, looking at the yellowed notes once more. "Apparently, Commander Rhapsodos' heritage is more... complex... than most."

"Was that what it meant earlier, about his 'Ancient ancestry'?" The spiky haired teen wondered quietly, raising a brow at Reno's quick look.

"He's part_ Ancient, _yo?"

"Distantly, through his father." Vincent confirmed, still scrolling through the notes. "The exposure to Jenova - via dead or living cells - would have destroyed his already limited abilities, no doubt why it's not been recognized."

"Jenova was the Sky-Sorceress?" The question came from Cloud, as vague memories of the stories about the Ancients rose to the forefront of his mind. Dimly, he could imagine a bell-like voice reading them to him as he drifted off to sleep.

"_Sky-Sorceress?_" Reno stared at him, incredulous.

"Yeah, the one that tried to destroy the Ancients. They couldn't _destroy _her, so they trapped her in ice, sealing her away." The new SOLDIER was abruptly subjected to that strange, flickering crimson and gold stare, as Vincent turned to face him. Oddly, though he _knew _it wasn't natural, he found the gold... comforting.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked softly.

"My father used to read me stories, when I was little."

"Your _dad?_" Reno was clearly confused. "Ain't nothin' in your file about your dad."

"Well I didn't just _spawn._" Cloud snapped defensively.

"Yeah, but -"

"_Regardless,_" Valentine interrupted, deep voice cutting in over the two teenagers, "the answer is yes, Cloud. Professor Gast excavated Jenova from a geological stratum, carbon-dated at 2,000 years ago."

"Was it buried in ice?" He asked curiously, looking thoughtful at the nod received. "Then maybe they were true..."

"Your stories say anythin' about Commander Fire-ball?" Reno asked, making it hard to tell if he was serious or not.

"Actually, he reminds me a little of the 'Faithful Mage' now that I know him better." Cloud realized, elaborating at the twin stares. "From 'The Three Brothers'?"

"I don't do kiddie stories, Cloudy." Reno shrugged. "What about _you..._ Valentine?"

The gold was getting stronger behind the crimson, making the Mako-glow almost dual tone, and doubtless was the cause of Reno's abrupt hesitation. After a long pause, Vincent nodded slightly, and the hints of gold began to fade. "I believe Cloud may be right."

There was another long pause, before Reno's phone began beeping an odd tune. "Hold it, it's the mini-bossman... yeah? … damn, all right. We'll be there."

"Cloud," there was an undertone of urgency in Vincent's voice, a gloved hand settling on the shoulder without a pauldron, "do you know where the nearest Mako-spring is?"

Confused, Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I know where the one my parents would meet at is..."

"Good. You'll have to lead us there." He ejected the disk, taking it, and the papers, and brushing past a confused Reno.

"You know what he's thinkin'?" The Turk asked, following him once the call was over.

"Not a clue."

* * *

><p><em>He was floating. The pain was... distant... now, and he was able to open his eyes.<em>

_Sephiroth was holding him. The thought, which normally would have startled him, was simply accepted as 'right' as he looked up at him. Catslit green eyes looked down, with more emotion than the Commander could ever recall seeing from him. More than distressed, he was utterly distraught - it was written in every feature, from his expressive eyes to his usually calm voice, raised sharply to demand something of someone. He couldn't quite make the words out, but it didn't matter. Knowing Sephiroth _cared _so much was more than he'd ever thought he'd get from him._

_Glancing around, he noticed Angeal was in the room again, with the puppy by his side. Fretting, obviously, as he tended to, and leaning a bit against the teen. When had their roles so reversed?_

_A flicker of gold caught his eye, growing brighter as it drew near, until it was nearly blinding. When it faded, his eyes locked onto Cloud's... and he _stared, _unable to process what he was seeing. No longer dressed in the odd combination of blue civvies and SOLDIER accessories, Cloud appeared simply in a white robe, with a matching cape and gold pauldrons, glowing a soft gold. _

_Astonished, he looked quickly to Angeal, who was nearest, to see if he could explain. Further surprise met his gaze there, as his childhood friend was dressed in platemail with four beautiful white wings, two on his left side now, to match his right. A noble appearance, but not what he'd anticipated._

_Looking to Sephiroth, his last possible source of an answer, he found himself staring in wonder as a massive black wing extended from his shoulder, twin to the one he himself harbored. As a hand raised to brush his hair, he noted a thick black shackle on his wrist, with a heavy chain falling down from it. Where it went, he couldn't be sure, but the very _idea _of someone... something... _chaining _the Silver General was just... too much to wrap his mind around. 'Am I going mad after all?'_

* * *

><p><em>'He's dying.' <em>It was all he could think, looking down on the grayish-pallor of his friend. Genesis had done so well when Cloud had been working with him, he'd _hoped..._well, he'd hoped for better than this from his own efforts.

Angeal and Zack had returned, presumably because he'd been snarling at Rayleigh again - his temper rising with his frustration at their combined inability to _do_ anything. He'd barely noticed when the others returned as well, until Vincent spoke up with his idea.

"A Mako Spring?" Sephiroth didn't bother to keep the incredulity from his voice. "Why?"

"The research I've read indicates that being close to such a source of pure, unrefined Mako will strengthen him enough for his body to... defeat the J-Cells within him." Vincent informed him quietly. "But, we need to hurry."

"_What _research?"

"I found what are apparently Hojo's comments on stolen Project G files, Sir." Cloud explained, kneeling by Genesis on the bed. "He's... _different... _than what I think he realizes, certainly different than whatever he's been told."

"He's part-freakin'-_Ancient._" Reno elaborated, with a significant glance at Tseng.

Both Tseng and Sephiroth raised a brow at that, Sephiroth tightening his hold on Genesis slightly and leveling the Wutain Turk with a frosty glare. He was well familiar with Professor Hojo's... obsession... with the Ancients, but if that fiend in human form dared to lay a finger on Genesis...

"Sephiroth." Vincent interrupted his mutinous train of thought, deep voice cutting through his anger and anxiety easily. "We need to move him, _now._"

The unsaid was that Genesis was running out of time.

* * *

><p>It had been Sephiroth's paranoid request that settled Angeal's decision on whether to stay behind with Zack or go with them and see if this seemingly mad plan would heal or kill his best friend. He didn't want to risk the Turks, or Rayleigh, passing along this new information on Genesis' heritage. No matter they were currently in an 'alliance' of sorts with the ShinRa 'Spooks' and the Professor was dating a SOLDIER herself. He thought it slightly redundant, as they'd found the information in <em>Hojo's <em>notes to begin with.

Not that he was going to point that out to Sephiroth when the man was acting, to quote Zack, like a Zolom with hatchlings.

That image would stay with him for a while.

It didn't help the odd mental image, or Sephiroth's temper much, when the General practically hissed at the blond Third when he'd made a move for Gen's materia. Putting a calming hand on his shoulder, Angeal raised a brow at the young teen. "Cloud? What are you doing?"

"Preparing to defend my mentor against cave-dwelling _dragons._" He either hadn't _noticed_ Sephiroth's death-glare, or was unusually resistant. He settled on the latter when he saw him actually _narrow his eyes_ back at the silver-haired SOLDIER. "I suppose _you _want to tell Genesis that you made me fist-fight a dragon?"

It didn't go unnoticed that Genesis had now joined Zack as one of the very few SOLDIERs Cloud was informal with.

"_Could _you?" Zack asked, curious now.

"_Noooo_." The blond said, stretching the word out and somehow managing to convey his fond exasperation with the older teen. "I doubt anyone other than Commander Hewley would manage that."

Angeal spared a moment to frown at the continued use of formality. Was he really that imposing? "We're not going to make anyone fist-fight a dragon."

"No, because I'm going to borrow some of his materia, and defend them properly." He looked aside at Sephiroth. "You plan on carrying him, don't you? You can't fight _and _carry him."

Angeal was possibly the only one presently conscious who knew Sephiroth well enough to tell that he was fuming. Outwardly, he appeared calm, but his pupils had contracted slightly, and something had changed _just so _in how he held himself. Poised, wanting to strike. Knowing he couldn't. It was rare something got to the General so, and the Commander wasn't sure he understood it now, but he knew it needed diffused.

_Carefully._

"Sephiroth..." Vincent spoke quietly, stepping forward. "It is a long way to the spring. We _must_ hurry."

* * *

><p><strong>I know. I'm evil. But, I promise - the end of the fic will be happy, when we get there.<strong>


	17. The Gift of the Goddess

**DISCLAIMER: Is it mine yet? *checks* No...**

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><p>Sephiroth was used to being the logical one. He had no practice dealing with this level of emotion, and some part of him realized he was being irrational.<p>

A very _small _part.

"You cannot use Genesis' materia."

"General." Cloud looked at him seriously, and a bit sternly. "He _gave me _a Mastered Fire, do you _really _think he'd mind me borrowing something more effective? He's already said he wanted to be my mentor - come hell or high water - and if I've learned anything from Zack, it's that we're supposed to keep each other alive."

"You _will not_ use Genesis' materia." He restated, just as stern and a bit frustrated that his glare _wasn't working._He'd thought he'd gotten it down to an art.

"Then give me yours."

"I... beg your pardon, Strife?" Sephiroth couldn't help but be a bit incredulous at this... slip of a boy... _demanding _his materia!

"Do they teach you 'casting while carrying grown men' as some class when you become a First?" The Nibel native asked, a blond brow raised. "Or are you going to have _me _carry him, and guide you at the same time?"

Green and blue eyes clashed, marking the clash of wills. The room collectively held their breath, wondering what would happen. The General was clearly displeased; the unenhanced Third was unmoving.

"You understand the mechanics of casting Barrier?" The silver-haired man demanded.

"I've got the idea." Cloud nodded.

"You will take my bracer." He extended his right arm, beckoning to the teen. "Remove the Earth Materia; I don't need you casting that by accident."

Cloud snorted but obeyed, calmly removing the General's Crystal Bangle and hovered a hand over the materia, determining which of the green orbs was Earth and handing it back to the General. "Here."

A silver brow raised, grudgingly impressed by the youth's talent. Genesis knew how to pick them. "Now, get the hilt of Masamune. Do not attempt to _wield _it. Simply remove the Ice, Restore and Barrier Materia."

"Sir, yes sir." Cloud muttered, kneeling once Sephiroth summoned the blade, and staring a moment. There were no slots.

Sephiroth resisted a smirk, ready to ask him if he had a problem. Then, he felt his blade _twitch._Icy green eyes widened in shock as Cloud cupped his hands beneath the blade, three materia slowly emerging at his calling from where they were fused.

His lips parted slightly in surprise; how had he _known? _The technique of fusing materia into weaponry was undocumented and untaught in classes. It was something that very few people and weapons could manage, and that Cloud had not only managed to find them but was able to call them to him? It was unheard of.

What did they _teach _these country boys?

"Impressive." Angeal was not just commenting for the sake of commenting - Sephiroth could tell the burly First was genuinely impressed. With Cloud, anyway. He could _feel _the scowl of disapproval aimed his way, for trying to be difficult.

The General had no intention of apologizing. But, he supposed he could be a bit... nicer. Especially since, once this incident was inevitably retold, Genesis would want him as a student more than ever. "Yes, very impressive."

Cloud smiled wryly, as if aware that the Silver General had been testing him, and amused by it. The resemblance to Genesis was as unnerving as it was annoying, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was really possible the older man had managed to corrupt him so _quickly._ That, or he'd been replaced by some sort of Cloud-clone when Sephiroth hadn't been paying attention. "Thank you sirs."

"If that is all...?" Vincent prodded, nodding to the door.

"Yes. We're coming."

* * *

><p><em>The sound of chains were distant, but unmistakable, as Sephiroth carried him out of the manor. Black and thick, they bound him surely, yet he moved as fluidly as ever. Feline grace, almost a saunter even though he was hurried now. Was he really so concerned?<em>

_Cloud was with him, still glowing softly, with his white cape fluttering behind him as he moved swiftly. Behind them was Vincent, perhaps the strangest of all in his... change._

_It wasn't a change to _himself,_ more that he was accompanied. There were four to be seen, three of them chained, with the chains held by Valentine. A great blue violet beast, with a silver mane and horns to match its short fur, walked between a masked man wielding a chainsaw like something out of a bad horror film, and a bulky creature with screws sticking out of its body that looked as if it had lumbered out of Hojo's laboratory. The three walked behind him, seemingly unnoticed. The _fourth_, though, was not only by his side but unchained, and talking quietly to him._

_Despite being golden eyed and winged, this last being _looked _like Valentine. Its wings were black and crimson, ragged like the mantle worn by the former Turk. He also wore the same gauntlet, and ridiculous, pointed gold boots that the other wore. And his headpiece, crimson, came down by his eyes, like Vincent's bandana. It was clear, even just from the being's features, that they were somehow connected, though he couldn't quite imagine the relation; he might have mistaken one for the other, if they hadn't been together. He _glowed,_ a faint red and gold aura, akin to Cloud's yet at the same time reminding him oddly of a summon materia._

_"I am Chaos." The golden-eyed being looked at him suddenly, speaking to him in a deep voice reminiscent of Vincent or even Sephiroth, though with a slight rasp that spoke of disuse. "The children of the Planet hide your soul from the Calamity's wrath. In the embrace of the Lifestream, you see with the eye of spirit, not with the eye of man. Remember well what you see. Do not forget."_

'_I don't understand...' Genesis frowned._

_"You will, in time, favored one." Chaos assured._

'_But -" He had so much more to ask!_

_"_Rest, _Faithful. We will meet again."_

_The edges of his vision began to darken, and he groaned. The last thing he saw was Chaos' golden gaze._

* * *

><p>Vincent caught scent of the spring, even before Cloud told him they were close. Walking faster, he entered the cavern and marveled at the raw beauty. "Bring him here, Sephiroth."<p>

"We're _not _putting him in." Lucrecia's son protested.

"No, but near." Vincent tried to feel for Chaos' looming presence, but he was... distant. Distracted. _Chaos?_

'_Take him to the spring. The Goddess will handle it.'_

Vincent gestured to a spot near the Mako pool, and reluctantly, _carefully, _Sephiroth laid him on the rock, concern evident. "Now what?"

"We wait."

Icy green eyes narrowed, a flash of suspicious anger lighting them. "You don't have a _plan?_"

"The plan is _to wait._" Valentine's voice didn't raise, but was firm.

"Unacceptable." Sephiroth snapped. "He's _dying_. Every second lost, brings him closer to death's door."

"Do you think I am unaware?" Vincent returned, evenly but with an edge. He was not going to let the younger man try to order him around. He answered to no one anymore, and certainly _not _to ShinRa's General.

"Something's happening." Cloud interrupted their staring contest, coming to kneel by Genesis, crimson and green eyes snapping to the scene.

"I see nothing." Sephiroth disagreed.

"Wait." Though he saw no sign of change, Vincent felt a faint tingling in his chest. _Something _was happening.

Then, they saw it. A soft, pale glow, like the dawn of a new day, made Genesis' pale skin warm. The lines of pain, so prominent on his features, began to fade, until his expression was one of relief, a breathy sigh passing his lips. His body, which had curled in on itself, relaxed until he lay peacefully, breathing deeply. A quiet murmur, unintelligible even to the two enhanced men, escaped him.

Then, to their collective relief, glowing blue eyes fluttered open. Landing on Cloud first, he lifted a hand as if to touch him, mumbling. "You have Her appearance. Your _eyes..._"

"Huh?" Said eyes blinked in confusion.

"The Goddess." Genesis smiled, more relaxed than they had seen him, the white of his hair darkening to a rich auburn, his skin warmed to a healthier shade, no longer patchy and peeling. "I have been forgiven... she called me her faithful."

To Vincent, the words struck a chord. It was as Chaos had said. _Sephiroth, _however, simply humored him. "Mm. How do you feel?"

"I have been blessed by the Goddess." Genesis smiled softly, eyes alight. "All is well."

'_The Goddess takes care of her own.'_Chaos confirmed quietly, voice soft with respect.

_He is well? Truly? _Vincent asked back, beginning to get... if not _comfortable, _adjusted to the other being's presence.

'_He is purified. The Calamity has no hold on him, now.'_

A small smile reached his eyes, though his mouth was hidden behind his collar. "We should take him back. He can rest now."

"We should have the Professor look at him." Cloud decided, looking to Genesis. "I know you're okay, but it wouldn't hurt to see just what happened."

"Mm." Genesis shrugged, propping himself up and closing his eyes a moment. "Very well."

* * *

><p>Genesis was at ease, even when he had to rely on Sephiroth, again, to help him back to the manor. He felt weary, but it was as if he was finally recovering from a bad virus. As if he'd been horribly ill - and he supposed he <em>had<em> been - and was _finally _on the mend. A good tired.

He knew it worried the silver-haired swordsman, but tried to reassure him it was all right. The fact that Vincent and Cloud seemed so _certain _must have helped as well, for he seemed, by the time they returned, to be starting to let himself believe the miracle had actually occurred.

In the quiet of the trip, the healed Commander marveled at what had happened. He had been snatched from the cold embrace of death by a glorious warmth, and had glimpsed the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Soft and surprisingly young for the role he suspected she played, he could not help but notice a distinct resemblance between her and his new apprentice. Their eyes were the same shape, and were even the same luminous blue. She also wore all white, with gold pieces of armor. Her cape made him think of how he had seen Cloud in his strange dreamlike state.

Pondering his dream, he looked at his companions thoughtfully, trying to make sense of it. Cloud's incredible resemblance to the woman he suspected to be the mighty Goddess herself made him wonder. Clearly, there was some relation there. He would have to observe him closer, as they trained.

The chains that had bound Sephiroth were troubling, and the four presences - three held in bonds linked to Valentine - were something to consider as well. If he'd had the presence of mind at the time, he might've summoned the courage to _ask _either Minerva, or Chaos what the vision meant. It was clearly symbolic. That much he knew. But of what, he would have to puzzle out himself.

"Genesis." Sephiroth's voice was soft, softer and gentler than he was accustomed to from his occasionally arrogant rival. Blinking, Genesis looked up and was startled by the unusual _softness _there. "We're here."

"... thank you." He smiled a bit, enjoying the slight flicker of surprise on the younger man's visage.

After a moment, a faint but genuine smile touched his lips."I told you, I would take care of you."

"So you did." Genesis mused. "So you did."

For a moment, something he couldn't quite place passed between them. A certain... ease of the tension that had plagued their friendship since his return. He didn't know quite what that meant, but his instincts told him it was a good thing.

Of course, then the puppy came bounding out, followed by Angeal. The relief on their faces warmed him. He had felt so _alienated_ by the discovery of the circumstances surrounding his birth, but somehow, in that moment, it didn't matter. His... _friends_... had rallied around him. He wasn't alone after all.

"He's okay now?" Zack was asking Sephiroth, sounding truly concerned for his well being, despite the fact that not long ago, Genesis might have killed him in his unstable condition.

"He seems to be tired, but it looks like the degradation has left him." The General sounded pleased. Relieved.

It touched him on a level he didn't expect, warming his heart to hear that Sephiroth _cared._ He'd known Angeal did. And Zack, for some reason he couldn't explain. But he'd really wondered, while he had been away, if Sephiroth had missed him at all, or if he'd just continued on with his life. It was possible. He'd been _raised _in ShinRa. That he would remain loyal to his comrades, even choosing them over the Company, was a reassurance and confirmation of just how much they'd meant - _still _meant - to the silver-haired warrior.

A soft beeping caught his attention, and he found Rayleigh scanning him, surprise registering on her features. "I need another blood sample."

"_Professor..._" Sephiroth seemed frustrated. Perhaps... nervous? Was he worried still?

Perhaps he _was._ He, after all, had not been privy to the Goddess' appearance. "Let her. It will be all right."

The General hesitated, but led him back to her make-shift lab, helping him onto the bed where he reclined with a soft sigh. He really _was _tired, but managed to remove his duster and offer an arm.

Rayleigh took the sample, and examined it while the others waited. Genesis noted Cloud and Vincent didn't seem concerned, almost as if they _knew _it was all right. He had a brief moment of wondering, but no anxiety, as surprise flitted across the woman's features. "What is it?"

"Your J-cells... they're _gone._" She regarded the blood sample a moment longer, then looked to him. "It ought to be _impossible._I don't understand..."

"_Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the Goddess._" He quoted with a small smile. His joy of finally being free of the alien taint was overwhelming, a jubilant, giddy feeling washing over him. He was _free._

"We'll have to keep you away from Hojo and Hollander." Angeal, ever the practical one, pointed out.

"I'll kill them, if they touch _any _of you." Sephiroth growled, green eyes flashing.

"Might be a good idea to get rid of them _anyway_." Genesis noted. "They've caused nothing but trouble."

"Hojo _will _die." Red eyes flashed, Vincent's deep voice carrying a hint of a growl.

The two Banorans - and Zack, for that matter - stared. The resemblance between the former Turk and General was... startling. "Seriously, are you two related?"

"Possibly." Sephiroth murmured, green eyes contemplative.

"_For real?_" Zack gaped, looking between the two.

"For real." Sephiroth smirked faintly, raising a brow as Genesis snickered. "Have I done something to amuse you?"

"I see you've adopted a puppy while we were out." The recovered Commander noted, and smiled as he realized that their closeness no longer bothered him. "I always pictured you as more of a cat person."

"I believe that is _your _area of expertise." The General smirked.

"That reminds me... I need to call Joseph." He realized.

"'Joseph'?" Sephiroth arched a brow. "A new cat?"

"Oh _Goddess_, no. Bahamut would never approve of another feline in his domain." Genesis shook his head. "No, Joseph is my _cousin._And currently, boarding Bahamut for me."

"I'd wondered about where he went." Angeal frowned. "Do you know where Joseph _is?_"

"It hardly matters. I'll call him, and arrange to pick up Bahamut." He shrugged, looking once more to Sephiroth. "Surely, we can take the time, before we return to ShinRa?"

"I suppose." Sephiroth looked to the side, smiling at Tseng. "We can manage another passenger, I'm sure."

While the Turk and SOLDIER exchanged a meaningful look, Cloud asked curiously. "What sort of cat is he?"

"Oh, he's white, with dove gray ticking. A beautiful feline." Genesis smiled with an enthusiasm usually limited to materia and literature. "Gold eyes, like a ray of sunlight. You'll _adore _him."

He caught Angeal and Sephiroth exchanging _looks_, but they were smart enough not to spoil his fun.

watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=TSUfuB2MyEY


	18. Mutiny

**DISCLAIMER: B-b-but... why can't I have it?**

**NOTE: Really, really sorry I'm so late. Not feeling well lately... ah well, here it is!**

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><p>Getting Tseng to the helicopter had not been an easy task. In the end, they'd had Angeal carry him - much to the Turk's displeasure. Reno was delegated to the job of piloting once Genesis had determined their next location and Cloud and Zack had moved all of Rayleigh's equipment back on board. They would head to Mideel, in order to pick up Bahamut, and then return to ShinRa.<p>

The hot springs town of Mideel was far southeast of Nibelheim, on the same continent as the remains of Banora, and surrounded by tropical forest. And though it was reminiscent of home for the two Banorans, it didn't _quite _meet Genesis' approval.

To be fair, though, he had rather high standards.

"_Joseph!_" The Commander swept out of the helicopter, blue eyes narrowed slightly. "What were you _thinking?_"

The man approaching them looked about as worried about Genesis' temper as Cloud was of Sephiroth's. Apparently, they knew each other well. "What were _you_ thinking, dropping off that _beast_ of yours on me and not showing up for seven months! Where the hell have you _been?_"

"In Modeoheim." He narrowed his eyes to glowing slits. "_Dying._" He took advantage of his cousin's visible shock to breeze past. "Where's Bahamut? _Baha!_"

"_Dying?_" Joseph spun around, storming toward Angeal. "What is he going on about, Angeal?"

"He was... very ill, Joe. We almost lost him." The Buster Sword's wielder murmured as the brunette Banoran approached, green eyes wide.

"What the _hell?_ And you didn't call me - _why?_" Joe didn't even notice when Zack poked his head out, Cloud behind him, wondering at the commotion. "I'm all the family he has _left,_ doesn't that count for anything?"

"_JOSEPH!"_Genesis turned back swiftly from calling his beloved feline, expression darkened with disapproval. "Don't talk to Angeal like that. He did everything he could for me."

Perhaps they would have bickered more, if it wasn't for the sudden appearance of a Very. Large. Feline. White, with silvery accents, and bright gold eyes. "Baha!"

"He has a... what _is _that?" Cloud murmured breathlessly, stepping out as he eyed the massive feline, stretching up on its hind legs to nuzzle under the Crimson Commander's chin.

"Snow Cat, a breed of wild cat native to the Icicle area." Sephiroth supplied, smiling wryly.

"Isn't he _beautiful?_" Genesis all but purred to his 'cat,' gloved hands sifting through its thick fur. "Such a handsome creature, my Bahamut. I've missed you..."

Bahamut, reminded of his human's time away, proved his intelligent and feline nature by abruptly _shunning _him. Turning away and going as far as to smack his hand with his tail, the feline stalked past Genesis and looked at Angeal. Gold eyes flickered to Joe, then moved to where the remaining SOLDIERs stood.

When they locked onto Cloud, he made a low murmuring sound and began to prowl forward. Cloud's eyes widened, and he backed away instinctively. That, it seemed, decided something for Bahamut, who leapt from where he had been sitting by Angeal and Joe, pouncing onto Cloud and pinning him to the chopper.

"Cloud!" Zack yelped. "Angeal, get the demon-cat off Cloud!"

Angeal rolled his eyes. "Gen, call your cat off."

"He _likes _him!" Genesis was delighted. "I _knew _he would. He has good taste."

"He's _tasting_ my _hair!_" Cloud squirmed, then went still as a low rumble of disapproval was uttered by the 'demon-cat.' "Nice Bahamut..."

"Baha, _down._" Genesis frowned at his feline, arching a brow at the almost _annoyed _look from him. "Don't you give me your Angeal-face!"

"_Angeal _face?" Angeal gave him an unamused look.

"Yes, like that, only more... annoyed." Genesis tsked, turning his attention back to Bahamut, slowly walking towards where he had the young third pinned. "Baha! Get _off_ him, you're squishing my student! _Bahamut!_"

Apparently, Bahamut knew that his full-name was to be taken seriously. Chuffing, he gave one final lick to the much-abused spikes, before crawling up into the helicopter and wrapping around Cloud's shoulders, chin on his forehead.

"Can I _move _now?"

* * *

><p>Standing between the Directors of Administrative Research and of SOLDIER, Rufus watched with mild curiosity as the helicopter landed. Supposedly, according to Veld, not only had SOLDIER Fair <em>brought back <em>Commanders Hewley and Rhapsodos, but they were healed.

Pale blue eyes narrowed a fraction as he considered what he had learned from both Veld and Lazard; apparently, the _reason_ Rhapsodos had defected was because Hollander had done something wrong when he'd been messing with his genetics. _As a fetus._ Was it any wonder, that the man had started to question his humanity? That he hadn't torn ShinRa _to the ground_ _in rage _was a miracle; though not _very _familiar with him, the young Vice President knew enough _about _Rhapsodos to be aware of his temper.

He was _also_ well aware of the closeness between the three 'legendary' Firsts, and was frankly rather surprised _Sephiroth_ hadn't defected as well, just to be with them. Granted, now he had Fair as a comrade, maybe even a friend... but you couldn't just _replace _any First with another. Surprisingly, the group was as unique as the Turks, something he'd never quite appreciated until he started getting to know some of them.

As the wind began to kick up, helicopter coming to rest on the helipad, the Shinra heir uncrossed his arms and wondered who he would be faced with.

The silver tip of a sharp odachi emerged, and despite hearing a soft groan from Lazard, Rufus _approved._ _Message received, loud and clear, General._ Before he could comment, however, Sephiroth had turned slightly, making sure the next person, no _people_, got - "_Tseng?_"

"Sir." The Turk was using the taller First as a crutch, leaning heavily against him, right leg professionally splinted.

Rufus frowned, inclining his head in acknowledgement, eyes flickering away from the injured man as he heard Genesis... _cajoling_ someone to emerge with him, before stepping into view with an exasperated gesture. "_Cats."_

Cats? _Oh Planet._ He'd thought himself finally _rid _of the beast... but no, there he was - a brilliant white Snow Cat, gold eyes flicking back over its shoulder to -

_What. The. Hell._

The boy was in his early teens, with a far-too-innocent set of wide blue eyes, and spiky hair. _Blond_ spiky hair, of a _very _similar shade to his own. Surreptitiously glancing at Lazard, he noticed that his half brother looked a bit surprised. Perhaps a bit resigned, as well; they must have been seeing the same thing, then. But, while Lazard wouldn't _do_ anything - of this he was sure - _he _planned on having one of the Turks do a full report on the boy.

Fair was next, Hewley's prodigy looking considerably better than he'd expected, if the reports of what went on in Modeoheim were _true._He was followed by a slender woman in a labcoat - Professor Rayleigh, he assumed - who Reno helped down as he ducked around the settled craft.

The sound of _at least_ a dozen guns being brought into position made him cringe. _Just_ when he thought his father couldn't _possibly_ outdo his own arrogance and foolishness, something like _this_ happened. Did they not _see _the odachi?

Sephiroth angled his blade to catch the light, walking forward until he was a little ahead of his group. And only an idiot couldn't see, they _were _his, in his mind. He was ready to defend, to a deadly level. About to try and make some sort of peace, and hopefully smooth over his father's tactical blunder, Rufus turned to chastise the infantry.

The sudden, cracking report of a handgun was followed by an abrupt _SNAP_, and startled cursing. Raising his eyes to the second source of sound, Rufus found himself gawking in disturbed silence at the Captain, who held the butt of his rifle like a foreign object, its barrel skittering across the helipad, in pieces. "Captain?"

"I..."

"... suggest you put your guns down." Sephiroth smiled wryly, amused.

Veld's eyes flickered over the group, incredulous. "Who...?"

"It's been a long time." The deep timbre of the voice almost gave Rufus chills, so similar to the ominous monotone the General was fond of, but _darker._ "... Veld."

That Veld knew this person was reason enough for the Vice President to relax some, and go back to his address of the murmuring troops. "_Stand down,_ damn it, and be glad all you got was a _warning _shot."

"But, sir, your father -"

"You are here to escort them, and not _separate _them, I hope?" Rufus asked archly, looking them over. The Captain nodded. "Good. There's not enough of you, to... oh for the love of-! _Nation. _Come back."

Dark Nation, his _usually_ faithful Guard Hound, trotted over to examine the boy Rhapsodos' cat was so fiercely protecting. _Lovely... this is all just _wonderful. "_Dark Nation!"_

"I think she likes him." Rhapsodos observed cheekily.

Reminding himself that snapping at the Commander was counterproductive, the executive let Dark Nation have her way for now and refocused. "I will escort them _myself. _It's about time Father and I had a little chat, anyway."

"But _sir..."_

"Do you think, honestly, you can do better than three Turks?" He demanded. "Because I do not."

"Captain Kardos, please." The boy spoke up, looking earnestly at the Trooper's Captain. "You don't want a fight on your hands... _trust me._"

"_Strife?_"

"Field promotion." The boy - Strife - clarified.

"To _SOLDIER._" Rhapsodos seemed oddly smug about it.

"_Wonderful._" Rufus muttered, striding over and standing in front of the troops. "You _will MOVE._"

Thankfully, they _did_.

He'd hate to get blood on his jacket.

* * *

><p>Once the troops had filtered back down the hall and out of the way, Cloud heard the soft 'chink' of Vincent's metal-bound boots as he hopped out of the helicopter. A slight widening of the Turk 'Veld's' eyes, indicated that he recognized him, despite the fact that he <em>surely<em> had changed in all the time he'd been in that coffin. Longer hair, at _least._

The blond, who must be Rufus, if the president was his father, made an impatient gesture. "Come along. Mustn't keep _Father _waiting."

No one moved, until Sephiroth had looked at Genesis and Zack, the eldest and youngest of the Firsts moving to flank their party at some silent command. He himself was flanked by the two animals, the Snow Cat and Guard Hound not seeming inclined to leave his side, and making angry noises as they passed by the Troops. Neither of their masters attempted to quiet them, Rufus merely walking faster to get them past the group and to the elevators.

For a moment, the Vice President seemed a bit uneasy, even looking a bit apologetic as he looked to Sephiroth. "We won't all fit in one."

"Hm." Pale green eyes flit over the group, and he shrugged. "Angeal, Zack, Vincent - escort the Directors, Tseng and Rayleigh. Genesis, Cloud, Reno and I will escort the Vice President."

"Very well." The Vice President didn't seem inclined to argue, though he hung back a moment, getting a good look at the groups before he finally joined them. As the elevator began moving, he caught the General's eye. "Veld told me."

Cloud watched with interest as Sephiroth made a noncommittal hum. It was _Genesis _who spoke. "And your thoughts?"

Rufus smiled faintly. "I came to welcome you back, didn't I?"

That seemed enough for them for the moment. Silence reigned until the elevator chime sounded, Sephiroth commenting softly as he took point again. "Welcome to the party."

The two groups merged once again, Rufus stepping up to Sephiroth's side with a significant glance at Masamune. "You might put that away."

"I might." Sephiroth mused.

He didn't.

They walked into the President's office, with Sephiroth still bearing Masamune. Angeal, Genesis and Zack stood behind him at attention, Reno supporting Tseng beside Veld and Lazard. Cloud took a page out of Vincent's book, and hung back a little, not wanting anything more than to watch, for now.

The man behind the desk, presumably the President himself, was an interesting figure. Blond hair was receding, with blue eyes framed by lines from squinting or frowning; Cloud guessed him to be at least fifty and probably older, though he could simply have aged from the stresses of running the company. He wasn't particularly attractive, but he had a feeling he'd been good looking once, before putting on so much weight and gaining all the stress lines on his face.

The President stayed behind his desk, flanked by four Turks and eight SOLDIERs, Infantry lining the walls, all standing at attention. He seemed to measure his words as he looked them over. "Well, well. What an _interesting _group we have here today. I'm curious as to _why_ you have such an ensemble, General. I appreciate you escorting Hewley and Rhapsodos - you're far more competent than any number of Troops - but I can't imagine why you felt it necessary to bring my Directors, let alone my _son._"

"I have a vested interest in the workings of the Company." Rufus pointed out dryly.

"I see." Shinra Sr. chuckled, smiling almost indulgently before returning his gaze to Sephiroth. "Well, in any case, it's fortunate you're here. I worried about how we were going to manage this."

A silver brow raised, then lowered into a hateful stare as a thin man in a white labcoat came forward from behind the Turks. "_Professor._"

Cloud's eyes widened at the low, menacing tone. This, he knew instinctively, _had_ to be Hojo. He knew no one else who had earned such open _hate_ from the General.

"Well, well, _well_." Hojo's smile was more of a sneer, looking over Genesis and Angeal for a long moment before flicking back to Sephiroth. "I hear you went to _Nibelheim..._did you enjoy yourself?"

He had been advancing steadily, and stopped a little in front of the President's desk. Sephiroth raised a brow at him, saying nothing until there was a faint movement from the side. Cloud glanced in that direction, instinctively, and noted one of the Troopers had a strange sort of pistol. It took a moment to realize what it was, but he recognized the shape. _A tranquilizer gun? Seriously?_

Green eyes slid back to the professor, narrowed a bit, then to the president. "What is this?"

"Surely, you've realized how _unstable _Hollander's... subjects... are?" Hojo asked. "I've been charged with the task of re-evaluating if they're still fit for SOLDIER."

"I've fully evaluated _both _Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley." Professor Rayleigh spoke in their defense, apparently sharing Sephiroth's distaste. "They are recovered, both from injuries suffered and the degradation, doing far better than they ever did under Hollander."

"Yes, well, Ms. Rayleigh, I think you'll have to agree, as the Head of the Science Department, Professor Hojo is more qualified to do a thorough examination." The President replied, smiling faintly. "He keeps the SOLDIER Department running, dear."

"I _believe_ that duty is Director Lazard's." Sephiroth noted quietly. "Or perhaps mine, in wartime. Either way, he is insignificant in this matter. I have deemed them ready to return. I _strongly _suggest you agree."

The President arched a brow, leaning forward. "General, in case you have forgotten, when it comes to matters of my Company, _I _have the last word. And I want Hojo to evaluate them."

Cloud cringed, seeing the General gripping his blade tightly enough that the leather of his glove _creaked. _This would not end well.

"I will not - _cannot -_allow that." Sephiroth informed him quietly.

The President sighed, as if under a great burden. "Have you not noticed your surroundings, Sephiroth? Even you would not manage to subdue these forces, without being -"

"What part of 'I do not _care_' do you not understand?" Sephiroth finally snapped, green eyes flashing dangerously. "You are threatening _my _men with that... _madman, _and I _will not _stand for it."

Apparently, the President did not appreciate the General's tone. "You forget your place."

"No, _sir,_ I think I've finally realized it." He flicked Masamune, eyeing the SOLDIERs behind the President. "You have overstepped your boundaries, and I have had _quite enough._"

"What are you trying to say, Sephiroth?" He demanded. "Do you dare stand against me, with these... _traitors?_We've made you what you are. We can destroy you."

"_Father,_ by the Goddess, will you _shut up!_" Rufus finally exploded. "Do you think, for one moment, you will be protected by this... hodgepodge of warriors?"

"Quiet, boy." Shinra Sr. snapped, making a gesture to the Infantry. "I'm sorry you don't see things my way, Sephiroth."

"Tranqs!" Zack yelped, pointing.

Several shots were fired, only to be deflected in various directions by Rapier, Genesis snarling. "Stop it, you fools. You're _not _on the winning side."

Abruptly, Cloud felt a stinging in his arm, and hissed. Looking down, he felt a sudden wave of dizziness, vision blurring as he swayed. "_Damn..._"

The last thing he heard was his name, shouted frantically, and a furious roar.


	19. A New Story Begins: Update

Dec. 28 of 2011, I started _Angel's Wings_ on , and in 2012 I received some critiques that made me question my writing abilities. Since then, numerous roleplaying and cowriting situations, as well as writing short gift fics, have increased both my skill and my confidence.

And so it is, _Angel's Wings_ is returning on the anniversary of its beginning, under the new name _To Be Human_. I'm working on Chapter 16 now, but here's a snippet from the start to whet your appetite:

* * *

><p>There was loathing in his eyes, not just for Hollander, and a plea that he was afraid to understand. "Do you remember what I said? About our enemy?"<p>

"All that creates suffering," he muttered, remembering all too clearly, and shook his head. "You're not one of them!"

Angeal gave him a pained look, backing away. "I'll show you."

Even as he turned to watch him, Hollander made a frantic sound. "Stop it, you don't _understand!_ If you do this, you can't go back-"

Angeal lifted a hand, walking back further, and suddenly several of his monsters - clones? - were there, crouched and ready to spring.

"They're just _cells!_" Hollander lunged at him, but Zack was too busy readying his sword to fight off the creatures to pay attention, even when he heard the heavy thump that was undoubtedly his body hitting the ground.

Then the creatures charged - past Zack - and he had a moment of terrible clarity. "_ANGEAL!_"

A flash of blue light cut across his vision, across the room, across the monsters, and they jerked to a halt, sliced cleanly in half before they could reach Angeal. For a moment, they all stared, uncomprehending, before a familiar baritone cut the silence just as sharply.

"_Coward_."


End file.
